In This Night
by Queenq
Summary: AU. The main event that led to "Game Night" - How our ladies met.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Some of you asked how Maura and Jane met before "Game Night", so I decided to write this. Hope everyone likes it. Let me know what you think. All mistakes are my own.**

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"Ow! Dammit Frankie! Leave it alone!" An annoyed Jane batted Frankie's hand away from her nose. "Don't make it worse!" She explained placing the ice pack back on her injured face.

"OK! Sorry! It just looks really bad, Jane." Frankie replied, moving back to take his seat.

"What is taking so long?! The ER is practically empty." A scowled Jane complained, looking around and noticing most of the people there were drunks wanting some protection from the cold weather.

It all began when the two siblings where playing a harmless video game, in Jane's house, when Frankie after scoring the winning point, lifted his arms in celebration, not noticing that Jane's head was in its path. The result: a bloody nose and a three-hour wait in the local hospital ER.

"Mom's already going to yell when she see's your face. I don't even want to know what will happen if we are late for our family dinner." Frankie said, flinching thinking about Angela reaction.

"I'm more concerned about what coach will say when he finds out about this, back in training camp." Jane said anxiously, worried about the repercussions of this accident in her recent acquired spot, on her beloved NFL team - The Patriots.

Frankie didn't reply, just took her hand in support, knowing nothing he said would end Jane's worry about losing her hard earned spot.

They sat in silence waiting until a nurse finally called out Jane's name, escorting the injured Rizzoli to an empty room, while the younger Rizzoli stayed in the waiting room hoping it wasn't anything serious.

Jane tried to distract her mind of her injure but her surroundings wasn't helpful. The constant buzz, the smell and the uncomfortable bed, everything reminded her of the fact she was at the hospital, her nerves growing at each moment. Jane squeezed her hands together, to the point they were almost red, in order to calm herself.

Suddenly the open of the curtains startled Jane of her thoughts, making her turn to face her visitor. All the pain from her nose was instantly gone as, for the first time in her life, her breath was taken away by the beautiful sight in front of her.

"Miss Rizzoli?" She heard, and Jane was sure an angel came to visit her; she found herself captivated by the blonde vision and forced her mouth to close and to respond; she cleared her throat and replied:

"Yes. Jane, please." Her voice sounded weird to her own ears.

"Nice to meet, Jane" The doctor replied with a slight blush in her face "I'm Dr. Maura Isles and I'll be accessing your injuries today." She continued with a smile.

Jane simply nodded dumbly, not recognizing her own actions. Her eyes tracked every move the doctor made around the room. _Get a grip Rizzoli!_

"Can you tell me what happened, Jane?" The doctor asked, putting her gloves on.

"Hm yes, well, my brother and I were playing PS4 when things got a little heated and his elbow ended up hitting my face. Well, my nose, I guess." Jane said with a shrug of shoulder.

"Oh, I see. And what exactly is PS4; is that some kind of new sport that's going around?" Maura asked seriously while feeling Jane's injury with her hands.

Having heard the doctor's question Jane looked at her incredulously, getting more fascinated by the doctor every minute that went by.

"Hmm, no. Well, I guess you can say it's new but it's not a sport. It's the name of a video game console." Jane answered, "We were playing on the TV ". She continued after seeing the confused frown on Maura's face.

"Oh. I see" Maura replied with an embarrassed smile on her face. "I'm sorry; I'm not very familiar with those kinds of hobbies."

Seeing the embarrassment on the blonde's face and finding completely adorable, Jane put her hand on top of Maura's hand that was resting on her cheek; bringing the doctors eyes back to hers.

"It's alright." She said, feeling a strange need to comfort the woman in front of her. "My brother and I are kinda childish, anyway."

Jane felt a strange sense of satisfaction by the bright smile she got in return. _I want always be the one who puts that smile on her face._ Jane thought, feeling her heart shake with that sudden knowledge.

A comfort silence surrounded both woman, while one examined the bruised nose; the other examined the freckles and expressions that appeared on the doctor's face.

"So, what's the verdict, doc?" Jane asked after a particular pock made her flint in pain and reminded her of what brought her to the hospital. "Am I going to lose my nose?" She joked.

"Of course not!" Maura replied in an incredulous tone, clearly appalled by the question. "It's almost impossible for someone to lose its nose. It's very rare and even then, only in extreme cases."

Jane laughed aloud at her tone and answer, stopping only after seeing the sad look on Maura's face. Felling the need to justify herself, she immediately said:

"I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. It was a joke. I've had enough injuries to know that I won't lose my nose" Jane searched Maura's face for a sign of forgiveness.

"Oh! I didn't know it was a joke. I'm not very good at social interactions." Maura said knowing the brunette was waiting for her reaction. "Some people find me weird, so I could understand why you laughed." She continued, making it clear it wasn't the first time someone laughed at her.

A scowl appeared on Jane's face after hearing that, her sense of protection running hot through her veins. "Sucks for those who find it weird, I find it incredibly sweet and charming." Jane almost growled her answer.

The young doctor blushed, averting her eyes while whispering a sweet "Thank you".

Maura shook her head to focus her thoughts back to her task and out of the beautiful brunette that was making her feel things no one had ever made her feel, even after only just met her.

"Well, Jane, it's clear you broke your nose but the good news is that we can easily fix it." Maura said, placing both her hands on Jane's face.

"Okay, doc. Do what you have to do." Jane replied, wondering what she was going to have to do and how long her recovery would last.

The skilled doctor placed both her hands on Jane's nose, and in a fast move, popped it back in its place. The sound of bones returning to their place echoed around the room.

"Fuckkkkk!" Jane exclaimed while she stood to pace around the room, trying to make the pain go away. She took a few deep breaths before going back to stand in front of Maura. "A little warning would be nice." She grumbled while the doctor examined her work.

Maura smiled at the flustered and pouting woman in front of her. "If I gave you any warning, you would have moved, putting at risk the resetting of bones." She explained, "And please, watch your language."

Jane huffed but stayed silent while she watched the blonde finish her work. "So, what do you think? Good as new?" Jane asked.

Maura reluctantly removed her hands from Jane's face, missing the connection right away. "Yes, beautiful as ever." Instantly realizing what she said, Maura blushed and stumbled through her next words, "I mean, your bones are perfectly place." In her embarrassment, Maura lost the wide smile that took over Jane's face.

Jane for her part couldn't _and didn't want to_ explain the emotion that took her heart over. Never in her life, had she felt it and knew she never wanted to be without it again.

"Just put some ice on it for a few days and I'll write a prescription for something for your pain." Maura continued oblivious of Jane reaction, trying only to focus on the job at hand. "In a few weeks you should be good as new." She ended, handing Jane a prescription.

"Few weeks?!" Jane exclaimed, thinking about her spot in the team. "I don't have few weeks, doctor. I need to be back in training camp next week." Jane explained.

Maura tilted her head in confusion, "Training camp?" She asked.

Now it was Jane's time to blush while she answered, "Yes, I'm a football player and my coach can't see me like this" she pointed to her injured nose; "I just got drafted and this is my chance. It has always been my dream to play for the Patriots."

Jane didn't know why she was telling the blonde this but she couldn't stop herself.

"I understand your worries. I mean don't really know who are the patriots but I can relate to your sense of responsibility." Maura said.

Jane nodded while she waited to hear what the doctor would say.

"Well, I suppose I can write you up a cream to help with the bruise but, if you want to heal faster, what you really need to do is not to overexert yourself. Don't overdo." Maura completed.

"Okay, thank you, doc. I'll do what you said and put the ice and lotion but I don't want the drugs. I can manage the pain." Jane said, sincerely.

"If you're sure." Maura replied, and at Jane's nod, she redid the prescription. "Here you go, Jane." Maura said, handling the paper over.

"Thanks, doc." Jane replied.

Both of them felt like their time was up but neither wanted to say good-bye. They stood looking at each other, getting lost in each other eyes and trying to find something to say to prolong their time together.

Suddenly, a voice brought both of them to reality "Dr. Isles? We need you back in trauma one." The nurse said and left quickly back to the emergency.

Maura took a deep breath and moved to leave "it was nice to meet you, Jane. Take care of yourself." She said, giving a small smile, not wanting to leave but knowing she had to.

The thought of never seeing the young doctor again made Jane's heart break in a way she never thought it could happen. She knew she would always regret letting the blonde leave without saying anything. She knew she couldn't let that happen.

"Dr. Isles, please wait." She said putting her hand on Maura's arm. When the doctor, turned back to look at her, Jane gathered her strength and continued, "I know I could be out of line, but I was wondering if you would like to have some coffee, or something, sometime?"

Jane mistook the silence that followed as a polite shutdown, not noticing the happiness that appeared on Maura's face, and continued with a sigh "I'm sorry, I know the circumstances aren't ideal but I felt something and thought you had too. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Jane dropped her shoulders and moved to leave, wanting to go home in her misery.

Maura was so uncharacteristic lost in her feelings that she only realized her silence was mistaken when Jane brushed pass her on her way out. She didn't understand why her brilliant mind abandoned her in such a pivotal moment and willed it to work. To do or say something.

The only thing she could come up with was a simple and sweet whisper "Call me, Maura."

At first, Jane thought she was imagining things, but then, when reality set in, she turned smiling happily back at Maura. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the lump that was there.

"Nice to meet you, Maura." Jane said smiling wide, offering her hand for the doctor to shake.

"It's my pleasure, Jane." Maura replied, placing her hand into Jane's, while reaching into her pocked at the same time. After writing something, she handed Jane the paper.

"I'm on call until tomorrow night, but feel free to call me later." Maura said, placing a gentle kiss on Jane's cheek and left the room to handle the emergency; leaving the brunette smiling dumbly in the empty room.

A young nurse brought Jane out of her own head, escorting her out of the room and helped with the discharge papers. The brunette made her way back to waiting room with spring on her step, almost on a high.

She found Frankie pacing around the room before he noticed her. "Jane! How was it? Is it bad?" He asked quickly.

Jane only smiled back happily, "Best broken nose ever, bro!" She said, one arm going around his shoulders, hugging him into her side while they went on their way home.

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 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: I'm so sorry about the huge delay! Hope everyone likes it. Let me know what you think. All mistakes are my own.**

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Not even a moment after they entered Angela's home, both, Jane and Frankie, were dragged to the couch and had to endure a full lecture. They both promised to be more careful and Angela pretended to believe them, moving on to finish the family dinner. But, throughout the whole time, in the back of Jane's mind, there was always thoughts about the young blonde doctor that took Jane's feelings by surprise.

Even in the comfort of her bed, late at night, Jane's mind wouldn't settled as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Never in her life had she felt such a strong connection with someone. No sound could be heard from outside, everyone else was probably asleep as Jane played with the phone in her hand wondering if it was too late to send a message.

She turned her head to peek at the alarm beside her bed and noticing it was almost 3 AM; later than she realized, she quickly decided not to. Wondering perhaps that Maura was dealing with an emergency or getting a long deserved sleep after such hours at the hospital. Jane didn't want to bother or get in her way. She convinced herself to send something as soon as she wakes up in the morning and, with that thought, she placed the phone in her nightstand, she went to sleep with a smile on her face. Images of the doctor filling her dreams.

Meanwhile, across town, an exhausted Maura finished her last surgery and after doing her notes, moved towards an on-call room to try to get some rest. She locked the door, took her scrubs of, placing them on the top bed, for easy access in case someone came knocking.

As she laid down, in the middle of her hopes of not being disturbed, a sadness filled her heart, brought on by the thought of the beautiful brunette and lack of messages on her phone. Maura wondered if she misread; she was so sure Jane would use her number and call. She started thinking that she wrote her number wrong but quickly dismissed that thought knowing she wouldn't do that. The only logical explanation in Maura's mind was that, as always, she was played. Maybe Jane just wanted a good treatment and like a fool, the fell for the act. Or maybe she decided not be seen with someone like her - weird. _When are you going to learn, Maura?_ Her mind screamed at her.

Her heart ached in ways Maura couldn't explain. _Why are you so affected by this woman?_ Maura chastised herself and switched her mind out of the emotional path to the logical one in order to get as much sleep while she could.

Never in Jane's life had the morning time ever felt so good. She woke up with her usual grumpiness but in the middle of her second cup of coffee, her brain started to wake up and she remembered it would finally be a good time to text Maura. Now, sitting on the couch, Jane stared at her phone trying to come up with something good to send. However, everything seemed weird and not good enough in her mind.

Since she couldn't make up her mind, she decided to go with the basics and hoped the beautiful doctor would appreciate it.

 _"Hi, Maura! I don't know if you remember but it's Jane. We met at the hospital, where you fixed my broken nose. I hope it's alright that I'm texting you and that your shift went by smoothly. x, Jane."_

Hitting the send button, Jane placed her phone on the table and went to start her day by hitting the gym, wanting to release some of the tension and anxiety she was feeling wanting for a reply.

It was a little after 11 AM that Maura woke up; later than she normally would, her usual time around 6 AM; however after getting home around 7AM she stumbled into bed ready to recover from her shift. A little disoriented from her sleep, Maura checked the alarm and upon noticing the time, moved quickly into the shower start her day.

After she finished getting ready, she moved down the stairs; smiling slightly after spotting Bass moving slowly around the room. She entered the kitchen to prepare her coffee and refill Bass' food.

After having breakfast and reading some journals, Maura wanted to see if she had any missed calls for work. As she checked her phone, she noticed there wasn't any calls but there was indeed one text from a unknown number. Silencing the voices that gave her hope and the ones that discouraged her, she opened it.

Her smile got bigger and bigger as she read the whole message. She couldn't explain the fluttering in her chest when she saw it was from the beautiful brunette that wouldn't leave her thoughts. Jane obviously decided to keep things simple, and for that, she was glad. She started thinking of how she would reply and wrote,

 _"Hi, Jane! First, I'm sorry for replying only now but I woke up later than I usually do, due to my shift. Which was good and went by smoothly, thank you for asking. How is your nose? Are you still in pain?"_

Small sounds captured her attention, looking to see Bass moving towards the couch with a strawberry on his mouth.

"Shall we watch a documentary together while we wait for a reply, Bass?" She asked, while caressing his shell. Taking the fact that he stopped beside of where she was sitting as a positive response, Maura got comfortable and looked for the newest documentary released.

Back at her apartment from the gym, Jane was happy for the workout and, after finishing some of her work and calls from her agent, she was now studying some of the plays and games of the last season.

The beep of her phone indicating a text brought her mind back from all the strategy and Jane checked it for the incoming text smiling at its contents; quickly replying it.

 _"It's alright, Maura. I know you must be really tired. And my nose is fine; a little bruised but the pain medicine you prescribed is working just fine."_

Jane send it, and right before she lost her courage, she quickly sent out another one and waited anxiously for the answer.

After Maura finished watching the documentary, she put something together to eat as her lunch, replying her emails from work and parents while eating. She cleaned up after herself and decided to check her phone for Jane's reply, before starting her yoga routine.

She smile to herself at the knowledge that the beautiful brunette was getting better and as she went to reply a new sound indicated the arrival of a new text from Jane.

 _"I know this might be forward and I'll understand if you're tired but I was wondering if you would like to go out later tonight or sometime this week. I would really like to see you again."_

Maura felt giddy for of one the first time in her life, feeling the strange desire to squeal. She wasted no time in replying.

 _"I'm not tired and later tonight would be great. I'm looking forward seeing you again also."_

She knew it wouldn't be worth it starting her yoga now, since she wouldn't be able to concentrate before Jane's reply. Lucky, it came fast.

 _"Great! Can I pick you up around 7?"_

She reply her agreement, sending her address and moved on to start meditating, feeling happiest than she ever been.

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Jane parked her car in front of Maura's house, staring at one of the fanciest house she had ever seen. While she noticed how classy the doctor was right away at the hospital, she now knows it runs deeper than she realized. Trying not the feel intimidated and calming her nerves, Jane took a few breaths before walking over to ring the doorbell.

The few minutes she waited felt like an eternity and she ran her fingers through her hair and jeans to calm her nerves. She heard footsteps on the other side of the door and straightened her back to greet Maura, however she's frozen in awe and all breath is taken out of her lungs by the sight in front of her.

Maura is dressed perfectly in a designer dress that hugged her body in a way that showed all her curves. Jane managed to pick her jaw of the floor, staring in Maura's eyes, and blushing when she realized she was caught staring.

"These are for you." She said handing a bouquet of flowers. "You look beautiful, Maura."

"Thank you Jane. They're beautiful." Maura replied taking the flowers and moving towards the kitchen to place them in a vase.

"Not as beautiful as you, Maura." Jane said following her inside, watching a blush grow in Maura's cheeks and chest after her compliment.

Taking pity of a very cute embarrassed Maura, Jane decided to not make a big deal about it saying, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, let's go." Maura replied, grabbing her purse from the table and they both moved towards the car. Maura smiled at the sensation and comfort she got by the feeling of Jane's hand on her lower back. Protecting and guiding her.

When they reached the car, Jane moved forward to open the passenger's door waiting until Maura was settled to close it, and moved to the driver's side, sending Maura a smile while starting her car and getting them on their way to start the date.

The radio filled the car with a soft song, providing a calm atmosphere as both women sat in a comfortable silence. Jane contemplated the fact that she never felt this comfortable with anyone in her life, however her nerves, over how the night would occur, were getting the best of her as her sweaty hands gripped the steering wheel.

She glanced over at her beautiful company and saw Maura with a smile and a serene expression on her face.

"We are almost there, it's not really a fancy restaurant but I hope you like it." Jane broke the silence softly not wanting to startle Maura.

Maura turned to face Jane and gave her a wide smile, trying to reassure her.

"I'm sure I'll love it, Jane."

Jane took a deep breath, saying "I just... I know you're used to fancy and classy things and I" Maura interrupted her explanation "Jane, I don't care about those things. I was so happy you asked me out, I'm just happy to be with you." She confessed with a blush on her face.

"Ok." Jane breathed out "I'm pretty happy too." she added, a little uncomfortable about sharing her feelings.

"Here we are." Jane said moments later, parking her car and asking Maura to wait as she exited and rounded the car to open her door.

Maura thanked her with a kiss on the cheek and kept the hand that helped her out of the car, into her own; intertwining her fingers with Jane's.

As soon as they walked through the front, an older man come to greet them "Jane! I was so happy when you called! How are you?" He said, greeting Jane in a warm hug.

"I've been good, Mr. Holland." She answered, returning his hug, without letting go of Maura's hand. "This is Maura." She introduced the blonde women next to her.

"Nice to meet you. Please call me Jonathan; Jane never does." He said, greeting Maura warmly. "I have your table ready, Jane. Just go through the hallway and I'll make sure someone goes take your orders in a few moments."

He disappeared behind a closed door while both woman made their way through the hallway, the brunette leading the way.

"This is so precious, Jane. Just a cozy little restaurant, lovely." Maura said admiring all the decorations.

Jane didn't say anything as they rounded the corner, the drumming of her heart echoing in her ears, hoping everything was as she left it.

"Jane" Maura breathed out, upon entering the room. Her eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. A single table surrounded by candles and flowers of all kinds. Her eyes watered at the sight and her heart exploded with all emotions running through it.

Jane turned to look at her beautiful date, apprehensive about pleasing. Her heart shattered at the tears she saw forming in beautiful green eyes. "Oh Maura, don't cry, please. I'm sorry. It's too much too soon, I'm so sorry. Please don't cry." She said wrapping the blonde into a tight hug.

She whispered calming words and ran her fingers through silk blonde hair, as she felt Maura return the hug.

"I'm not mad, Jane. This is beautiful." Maura said after reluctantly ending their hug. "Its just, no one has ever done this for me." She confessed shyly.

"I'm glad you liked." Jane replied before continuing, "I know it's only our first date but I feel something for you Maura, that I've never felt. I really hope this is only our beginning."

"Me too." Maura said, "Well, let's see if you can get your second date, after this." Jane laughed at Maura little joke and lead her towards the table.

After waiting for Maura to take her seat, she moved to the other end to sit down. Maura, as curious as ever, asked, "How did you manage to arrange this in such a short time?"

Jane smile at Maura's curiosity and answered, "Well, this restaurant is very special to me. I worked here almost all my life. I started at 16, doing the deliveries, then cleaning the tables, waitressing and later on as a sous chef."

"Mr. Holland is like a father to me. He helped me in some difficult times." Jane ended, embarrassed for saying too much. _What is it about this woman that makes me want to share everything?_

Maura smiled at Jane story. Clearly, there was so much layers to the brunette, she was someone who worked very hard to get to where she is now and to achieve her dreams. _I can wait to get to know everything about this woman._

"Well, since you are very familiar with the restaurant what do you recommend I get? Everything in this menu seems delicious." Maura said examining the menu in front of her.

Jane sent a smile her way, already knowing what she would get. "Everything here is pretty good. You can't really go wrong, Maura." She said, receiving a nod from the blonde.

Right at that moment, a young girl approached the table and introduced herself. "Hello. Good evening, my name is Clara and I was asked to be your waitress for tonight. Are you ready to place your order or do you need more time?"

The ladies greeted the young girl back and after a quick glance at Maura and getting a small nod in return, Jane placed their order. Strip Steak for Jane and a salmon risotto for Maura.

"As for the wine, Maura, what do you prefer? Red or white?" Jane asked wanting to choose the right kind; after getting the Red as her answer, she decided.

"We'll go with the Merlot, then." Jane said with a smile towards their waitress, handing both menus back, turning her attention to her lovely date. The women gazed into each other eyes neither noticing the girl leaving.

Conversation flowed easily between both women as the food came and went. The two bottles of wine giving both women a natural blush, as they shared their lives with each other. Jane talked about her family and the sacrifices she had to make to help her mother raise her brothers while Maura talked about going to boarding school and the path towards becoming a doctor at a Boston's hospital.

A chocolate shuffle was shared and now, both ladies were stalling bringing their night to an end.

Just as Jane finished a childhood tale and Maura's rich laugh filled the room, the brunette spotted movement near the entrance, and Maura noticing Jane's glance, asked what was wrong.

"Nothing wrong, Maura." She replied with a sigh, "I'm afraid that was Mr. Holland way of telling me he needs to close the restaurant and relieve the staff." She added, unhappy for having to bring the night at an end.

" Oh my!" Maura exclaimed, "How rude of us! They're probably very tired and we're keeping them here." Her thoughtfulness and politeness shining through. "I just didn't want to end our time together." She admitted shyly, almost like confessing a dark secret.

Jane smiled wide at Maura's kindness towards others. "It's okay. I didn't want to end this either." She said, getting up from her chair to leading a hand to help Maura out of hers.

The ladies said their goodnights to both, Clara and Jonathan, and left the restaurant hand in hand towards the car.

"Jane, may I ask you a question?" Maura asked while they were driving back.

With a quick glance and smile towards the blonde, Jane replied sincerely, "Of course Maura, you can ask me anything." _I don't think you ever said that to anyone in your life, Rizzoli._

Maura turned her body so she could face Jane more and asked, "I remember you mentioning, back in the hospital, playing for some patriots; however in all my history studies I've never read about any group of people who called themselves Patriots; I'm quite sure you don't mean playing for someone who loves our country dearly." Maura ended, clearly still deep in thought.

Jane couldn't help the wide smile creeping on her face at Maura's ramble; light wrinkles marked the blondes forehead, a sure sign of frustration of not knowing something. Jane couldn't help finding the doctors frustration and intelligence cute and sexy at same time. _Amazing how her mind works._

Maura focused her mind back and upon seeing the goofy expression on Jane's face, realized she had let her mind get a life of its own "I'm sorry." she said quietly, feeling the need to do so.

Jane cleared her own thoughts at Maura's apology, "Hey, it's alright." She said, taking one of Maura's hand into her own. "I already told you I find it very cute and sexy when you do that." She added with a smirk on her face, as Maura's cheek became red with a blush.

Not wanting to embarrass the blonde, Jane started her explanation. "The Patriots are New England's NFL team." At Maura's blank stare she continued, "An American football team that represents our state in the national championship. I'm a quarter back for them, just got signed and I've been playing the sport since the beginning of high school." She ended right when they arrived at Maura's home.

Maura nodded at Jane's explanation and said, "I must admit sports are not my strong subject. But I will look into it to learn about what you do." She said with a smile,

"I'm sure you'll know more than I do in the end." Jane added with a laugh, exiting the car to open Maura's door. "And don't worry, I can teach you all about it, if you want."

Maura smiled wide back and squeezed the hand that held hers, saying, "I would love that, Jane."

Maura unlocked her front door but made no move to get in as both ladies looked into each other's eyes. Neither wanted to say goodbye.

"I had a lovely time, Jane. Thank you for tonight." Maura said, wrapping her arms around Jane's waist, bringing her into a hug. Jane didn't resist, long arms cradling Maura's head and back.

The two woman stayed locked in each other, Maura head nestled in Jane's neck, breathing in her sent, while Jane buried her face into Maura's hair and neck, both gaining comfort from one another.

Jane gathered her courage and moved her lips near Maura's ear. _Don't be a chicken Rizzoli!_ "Can I kiss you, Maura?"

Maura gasped at the feel of Jane's breath on her ear, and heart soared at Jane's gentleness and consideration.

"May I" she couldn't help herself and as soon as she heard her reply, she gasped, tried to end the hug as hands moved to her face to hide her shame.

She heard Jane's rich laugh and felt strong arms keeping her in place, nested against the brunette.

"Hey Maura, it's alright." Jane kept saying, moving her own hands to remove Maura's from her face. She succeeded but Maura kept her head down in shame.

"Hey, beautiful, it's alright. Look at me, please." Jane asked, placing a hand under Maura's chin, tilting it up.

"There you are. It's okay, Maura." She added, caressing the blonde's cheeks with her thumbs.

Jane gave her a smile and when she got a small one in return she continued, "May I kiss you, Maura?"

Her answer came in small nods and a whispered "Yes."

Hands moved in their own account, cradling the brunette's waist and blonde's neck, as lips got closer before meeting in a gentle caress that ignited the hearts of both women. _It's never been like this_ was the thought in both minds.

Lips and hands continued their discovery, both women trying to memorize everything g they could to keep the memory forever alive.

Sadly due to lack of air, they broke their kiss, the sound of their heavy breathing the only symphony of the night. Small kisses and smiles were shared as neither of them could contain the emotions running through their veins.

A shiver ran through Maura's body, whether it was caused by the cold or by the sensations Jane invoked, she didn't know.

Jane noticing her trembling body, tightened their hug and ran her hands through Maura's back trying to keep her warm. "I don't want to but it's probably best if we say good night and you go inside. You're shivering, Maura."

With a heavy sigh, Maura agreed that it was probably best. "I suppose you're right." She moved in and they traded more passionate kisses before finally opening her door. "Thank you for the lovely night, Jane." She said.

"It was definitely my pleasure, Maura." She said with a slight smirk. "I just want to ask you question before you go in." Jane added and took Maura's cocked head as her cue to continue. "Did I do good enough to get that second date?"

Maura loved this playful said of Jane, "Yes, you did Well." She placed a gentle kiss on Jane's cheek whispering, "Call me later to find out about that second date." and moved to enter her home.

Jane laughed and groaned at Maura's teasing, and drove home thinking about the little devil that was Maura Isles.

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 **Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Thank you for the favorites and reviews! Hope everyone likes it. Let me know what you think. All mistakes are my own.**

* * *

As time went by, they continued to exchange text messages and late night phone calls before succumbing to sleep.

Jane was getting relentless because their second date hadn't happened yet. They had agree to go out tonight, however the Maura had to stay to cover a shift at the hospital for a fellow doctor that didn't show up.

Jane's mood went from happy to grumpy in a matter of seconds as she read Maura's text telling her what happened. It wasn't Maura's fault, even if she had apologized in one of her texts. The brunette could see the blonde was also disappointed from having to postpone their date. In addition, if Maura's last text showed something, was that the doctor was quite angry with her colleague.

Even when Maura was angry, she was polite and her curses were classy. Jane felt a smile growing on her face thinking how cute must be an angry Maura. Not that she would ever want to be at the receiving end of Maura's anger.

"Wow. I never thought you would smile today." Frankie joked about her mood when entering the kitchen.

"Haha. Very funny, Frankie." Jane replied, quickly scowling her expression.

"But seriously Jane. What happened today? You've been on cloud nine ever since meeting that doctor." Frankie asked.

"That's exactly it. We were going out on our second date tonight but she had to cover for another doctor." Jane replied, moving to grab them both a beer.

Frankie's reacting was a smirk on his face. "What?" Jane asked, seeing his expression.

"Nothing, nothing. I just never thought I would see the day my sister was so smitten with anyone." Frankie replied, taking a swing at his beer.

"I am not smitten!" Jane exclaimed, however, at Frankie's look of disbelief she relented "Okay, maybe I am, so what? I've never felt this way before, Frankie. I thought these feelings would scare me and make me wanna run; but I don't want to run. I wanna be with her all the time." Jane confessed to her brother with a blush. "And since I'm leaving for camp soon, I don't want to waste a day without her. You know, give her a chance to get to know me and not lose her for the first woman she meets while I'm away." She ended with an embarrassed shrug.

"From what you told me, she seems pretty smitten herself, Jane." Frankie said trying to comfort his sister. "She doesn't seem like a woman who trusts easily and will go out with someone she hardly knows, so it has to mean something the fact that she trusted you so easily, right? Just like you did her." He ended finishing his beer while giving Jane some time to think about what he said.

Knowing Jane didn't like to discuss her feelings and would think about what he said, Frankie decided to give her a break from the emotional talk. "Maura most be feeling pretty annoyed for having to work overnight without preparing first."

Grateful for the change of subjects, Jane replied, "She's not working overnight tonight. She's just staying at the hospital until ten o'clock. I don't even want to imagine how she would be if she had to work all night."

"Well, why don't you surprise her? Wait for her by her house with some food and wine." Frankie suggested.

Jane thought about it, saying. "You don't think I'll intrude? What if she's tired and just want to sleep?"

Frankie shrugged his shoulders saying, "I'll doubt she'll want to do that but if she does you say good night and leave; I'm guessing she'll appreciate the thought anyway. But she'll like it, Jane. I'm telling you." He ended with a just trust me look.

 _It's a good plan, Rizzoli. You're just mad you didn't think of it yourself. Maura will love it._ Jane shook her head and started thinking what she would bring Maura later.

When the chief stopped her on her way to the ER, Maura would never thought she would have to stay at the hospital almost the whole day; to say she was disappointed was putting it mildly. She cursed her sense of responsibility and wished she hadn't felt the need to accept his plead.

To make matters worse, it was a completely slow afternoon, without any trauma or surgeries, nothing to distract her as the time wouldn't go by.

Her last text message to Jane went unanswered as she drove home waiting to relax. When she rounded the corner, Maura spotted Jane's car parked in front of her house and its owner sitting on her front steps.

Maura quickly parked her car almost jogging to meet up with Jane as she stood up. Both women hugged as soon as they were in reach of each other. "This is a surprise!" Maura said happily into Jane's ear.

"A good surprise or a bad one?" The brunette asked pulling away to look at Maura.

"A great one. I'm so happy to see you. I was very disappointed for having to call our date off." Maura replied smiling.

"Well, I was pretty disappointed too so I thought, since we couldn't go out to have dinner, I would bring the dinner to you." Jane said, smiling wide holding up the bags with the take-out food she brought. "But, I understand if you are tired so I don't have to stay. Just be honest, okay?" She continued a little unsure of herself.

Maura felt her chest get warm and explode with emotions towards the brunette. She leaned up and kissed Jane hard, trying to show all her feelings in that kiss. "Thank you, Jane. I loved the surprise. And while I am tired, nothing feels more wonderful than spending a quiet night with you." Maura said, after brushing her lips with Jane's for a second time.

Jane smiled, saying, "Are you sure? You're not lying just to be polite, right?" Somehow knowing Maura would put herself in an uncomfortable position just to be polite.

Maura gave her an incredulous look and said "Of course not, Jane! I can't lie."

Jane took hold of her hand, moving them to go inside while saying, "I get not wanting to lie, but everyone tells a little lie every now and then."

"Well, I don't. As a matter of fact, I'm physically unable to lie." Maura said, closing her front door.

Jane turned an incredulous look at Maura trying to see if she was joking or not. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Jane. Quite serious. Whenever I lie, I develop a series of hives all over my chest." She added.

"That's good to know." Jane said with a smirk.

"Why? Are you planning on telling me lies, Jane Rizzoli?" Maura asked with both hands on her hips and a stern expression.

"What! Of course not, baby." Jane answered sweetly, not wanting to upset the blonde, bringing her into her long arms. First Maura was amused by Jane's desperate expression but then a smile rouse on her face "what did you called me?"

At realization, Jane's face froze "Oh I'm sorry, Maura. It just came out."

"No, I liked it. No one has ever called me endearing names like that." Maura confessed.

"Seriously?" Jane asked incredulously. Not believing the way Maura had been treated in the past.

"Yes, Jane. None of like that. The adjectives were always possessives ones." She said in a tone showing she was used to it.

"Well, that stops now, okay? I'll come up with a different one every time." Jane said giving Maura a comforting kiss.

Maura laughed when they broke away, saying, "In that case, I'll think one for you too."

Jane laughed at her sweetness, kissed her again and said, "Let's go eat and relax on the couch. We can't stay all night by the front door."

Jane finally turned and got a good look at Maura's home. "Holy shit Maura!"

"Language, Jane!" She reprimanded.

"I'm sorry. I just got surprised by your house." Jane said.

"What about it?" Maura asked not knowing what could have been the cause of such reaction while moving into the kitchen to serve their food.

Jane not wanting to admit the insecurities she always felt when around Maura's wealth, she quickly changed the subject following Maura into the kitchen.

"It's just bigger than I thought. You wanna eat at the table or in front of the TV?" Jane asked.

Maura thought about it and said, "While it could end up a rather messy situation, I'm tempted to eat on the couch."

Jane opened a wide smile and said "Well, then what are we waiting for? Go sit down, go relax!" Shooing Maura out of the kitchen, grabbing the tray with the drinks and food.

While Jane separated all the items, Maura found the remote control and was flipping the channels to find something for their evening. "What do you want to watch, Jane?"

"I'm fine with whatever. Pick anything you want, Maura." She replied handing Maura her plate and drink. "Tonight is all about you; I'm just here to make sure you relax." She continued moving to sit beside the blonde.

The young doctor responded with a gentle kiss on Jane's cheek, grateful she had found someone so sweet and different from all her others lovers. "Well, there is a new documentary I hadn't had the time to watch yet."

"Let's not wait any longer then." Jane said, sending a smile Maura's way after she started the documentary.

Not longer after they had begun watching the documentary, Jane realized her mistake. Both their empties plates and the empty bottle of wine sat on the tray, and she was bored out of her mind now that she didn't have her food to distract her.

Jane took a deep breath and her eyes moved to her beautiful company. While the tiredness of the doctor was clearly noticeable, so was the feeling of happiness that was expressed on her face. It was clear the blonde was relaxed, and that alone was enough to make Jane swallow her boredom.

Feeling Jane's eyes on her, Maura turned her head to look at the brunette sitting beside her. "What?" She asked slightly embarrassed about the attention she was receiving.

Jane gave her a smile, not believing her luck that this beautiful blonde wanted to date her. She knew she couldn't let her go. "Nothing, baby." She said, raising her arm wanting nothing more than to feel Maura in her arms and hoping she would get the hint and cuddle up to her.

Maura understanding what Jane wanted, quickly moved to mold her body against the brunette's, feeling giddily while she did it. She placed her head on Jane's chest, angling in a way she could she watch the documentary. The young doctor let out a sigh at the feel of Jane's arms holding her tight and running her hands through her hair. Maura couldn't remember a time she ever felt so comfortable and safe.

For her part, Jane knew that if she could, she would always have Maura in her arms. Nothing felt more right than her strong arms around Maura or delicate ones around her waist.

Noticing the blonde returned her attention towards the TV, Jane couldn't resist burying her nose into Maura's hair, running it until the blonde's neck, basking on the sweet smell that marked who Maura was. She placed a loving kiss on the delectable neck in front of her, feeling Maura squeeze her waist in response.

Suddenly, the boring documentary wasn't so bad for Jane, knowing she would distract herself memorizing everything she could about Maura. The way her frown appeared every now and then with the information showed; the way she would hold on tighter when some kind of tragedy appeared or the way she would sigh every time Jane ran her hands through a particular spot. Jane relinquished in spending the rest of the night feeling Maura around her.

As the credits rolled in the screen, Jane found it odd the lack of moving from the beautiful blonde in her arms and looked down to see that those green eyes she would gaze upon were closed and the steady breathing of the blonde showed she had succumbed to her tiredness and had fallen asleep.

The brunette thought about her choices: she could try to get some sleep too but she knew she wouldn't be able to do so in this position; she could try to disentangle herself from Maura and make sure she at least was laying down on the couch or she could try to carry the blonde upstairs to her bedroom.

This last option was probably the best one however there were two problems: first Jane didn't know where was Maura's bedroom and second she felt a little uncomfortable possibly entering the blonde's room without permission first. In the end, decided to get over her discomfort and carry the blonde upstairs.

Jane moved her arms under Maura's body and used her legs to get them both up. After making sure the blonde hadn't awaken with the sudden movement, she carried Maura upstairs hoping Maura's room was easy to locate.

Lucky for her, as soon as she arrived at the top of the stairs, she found Maura's bedroom a few doors to the right. The door was already open so she just used her foot to push it open more. She tried not to linger too much and not to violate Maura's privacy, so she forced her eyes to not room around and placed the blonde gently on her bed; making sure she was in a comfortable position.

Jane took Maura's heels off, after finding a quilt by the end of the bed, she covered the doctor. After reassuring herself Maura was comfortable, Jane went near Maura's face, moving a few rebels' locks of hair behind her ear, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and whispering a "Good Night."

The brunette closed the bedroom door after her, moving quickly downstairs, cleaning their mess hoping the blonde would forgive her for leaving the dishes in the sink. She turned the TV and lights off and with a final look, to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she closed the door. And went home silently thanking Frankie for his idea.

* * *

The sun peeked through the curtains illuminating Maura's bed, the light causing the young doctor to wake up slowly.

Maura lifted her head disoriented not remembering how she end up in her bed. She blinked her eyes a few times, trying to clear the fog that clouded her mind.

She looked down at her clothes obviously wrinkled from a night sleep. The last thing she remembered was cuddling up to Jane to finish watching the documentary and thinking how she never felt more comfortable in her life. Noticing her pair of designer shoes gently placed on the corner of her bed, she wondered what happened to Jane.

Maura got up, stretching her muscles, deciding to first take a shower and then texting Jane to see if she was alright. She knew she wouldn't be able to figure out this mystery herself.

After arriving in the kitchen and seeing the dishes in the sink, Maura was certain Jane did a lot while she slept. Going through her morning routine, fixing her coffee and making sure Bass had his strawberries, she decided to text Jane, hoping it wasn't too early.

 _"Good morning, Jane! Thank you for coming over last night. I really enjoyed it."_

With only a few minutes into her work, her phone beeped indicating the arrival of a text and she hastily went to read it.

 _"Good morning, beautiful! It was great for me too. Did you sleep well?"_

Overwhelmed with Jane's sweetness, Maura replied,

 _"I did, thank you. I slept so deeply I don't even remember what happened..."_

 _"Lol! I had a feeling you wouldn't."_

Maura mind raced wondering what Jane meant. _Did I do something?_ Maura hoped she hadn't done nothing embarrassing last night. And what was "LOL"?

 _"Lol?"_ She simply replied, anxiously.

" _It means laughing out loud, babe."_

Maura's heart sunk with the thought that Jane was laughing at her. Almost as if Jane was reading her thoughts, another text came through.

 _"Before your beautiful mind starts to think too much, I'm not laughing at you. I just imagined that cute little frown that appears when you're trying to figure something out."_

Maura felt a blush cover her cheeks in embarrassment, something inside her saying Jane wouldn't lie to her.

 _"But what did happen last night? The last thing I remember is watching the documentary together."_ She sent out.

" _Don't worry,Maura. You fell asleep at the end of the documentary and since I didn't want you to wake up sore from the couch, I carried you upstairs to your bedroom. Sorry if I intruded on your privacy."_

Maura was torn between feeling mortified for having fallen asleep and leaving Jane all alone or feeling incredibly blessed and smitten for having found someone like Jane. Her heart filled with emotion and she couldn't stop the arousal she felt imagining being carried by Jane. How hot and strong the brunette must have looked. She almost wished she had awakened to feel Jane's arms under her.

 _"I'm so sorry I fell asleep, Jane! I can't believe I left you alone to do everything. But thank you for bringing me up to my bedroom. It was very sweet of you."_

 _"I'm not sweet! I'm badass!"_ Was her reply and Maura giggled thinking about the expression on Jane's face. Soon after came another text from Jane.

" _You don't have to apologize. It was the point of the whole night, right? For you to relax and get some rest. And I loved having you in my arms."_

 _"I love it too. And thank you for watching the documentary with me. I know it isn't the kind of thing you watch."_ Maura sent out knowing the brunette must have been bored towards the end.

 _"Are you kidding? I love it!"_

 _"Do not lie to me, Jane Rizzoli!"_

 _"Okay, fine. It isn't really my favorite program or something I would watch alone. But I won't ever mind watching it with you. Especially if you always, you end up in my arms."_

 _"I'll gladly be in your arms from start to finish. And perhaps we could alternate; sometimes a documentary and others a game of your choosing."_ Maura replied.

" _Really? It's a deal, babe! You're the best! I've to go now, Maura; my agent is calling me. I'll talk to you later, ok?"_

 _"Okay, Jane. I'll be waiting for your call."_ Maura sent out this last text knowing she wouldn't get a reply and decided to visit her favorite store at the mall.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: I feel awful about how long it took me to update. I'm so sorry. Thank you for all the reviews/alerts/favorites. I hope everyone likes this chapter. Tell me what you think. All the mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Not a single day gone by that both women didn't see or talk to each other; if they couldn't meet for some reason, they exchanged texts and had late nights phone calls. For both of them it felt like they knew each other longer than just the weeks time; they knew they had found something special and both wanted to do whatever it took to continue getting to know one another.

However, they knew that with the day Jane had to be at practice camp arriving soon, their routine would change. Neither wanted to face reality as this subject went unspoken. They knew it would come but they didn't want to bring it to light. They didn't want to make it real.

As they grow closer and closer and with just two days left for Jane to leave, Maura's mind wouldn't settle until she discussed everything with Jane. She couldn't live with the unknown anymore and, with that thought, she spent the whole time she was getting ready gathering courage to bring it up.

The sound of her doorbell sent shivers down her spine anticipating her night with the beautiful brunette.

She ran her fingers through her clothes straightening the imaginary lines on them and opened her door, a wide smile immediately appeared on her face at the sight of Jane standing in front of her holding a bouquet of gardenias.

"Hey, beautiful. You look absolutely stunning." Jane said, her eyes roaming through Maura's body, not knowing what she did to deserve someone like Maura.

"Thank you." Maura said with a blush. "You look quite beautiful yourself." She continued, noticing how Jane's suit clung to her body.

Jane blushed under Maura's gaze and in the mist of her embarrassment; she remembered the flowers in her hand.

"Here, these are for you." Jane said shyly, handing Maura the flowers in her hand.

"Thank you, Jane. They are beautiful." Maura replied, smelling the bouquet in her hands. "Let me just put them in some water and we can go." She said, going to the kitchen to place them in a vase.

"You're spoiling me, bringing me flowers every time we go out. I can't believe you remembered they're my favorites." Maura said with her back to Jane, feeling emotional all of the sudden.

Jane noticing the blonde's emotional tone, crossed the distance between them and wrapped her body around Maura's, her long arms around the blonde's waist. She buried her face in blonde locks, inhaling the sweet and unique smell that was Maura.

As she felt the blonde sigh and relax in her arms, Jane said "Get used to it. It's only a small part of what you deserve. And of course I remembered, Maura. I remember everything you say." She ended placing a kiss on the blonde's neck.

Not even a second later, Jane heard a sniff coming from the doctor and quickly turned Maura to face her.

Jane was surprised to see a few tears escaping beautiful hazel eyes and running through soft cheeks, only ending their journey by a strong thumb in their path. After making sure she had dried Maura's cheeks, Jane asked "What's wrong, baby? I hate it when your tears appear."

Maura showed a watery smile at Jane sweetness "They're happy tears, Jane. It was just one of the sweetest things I ever heard." She said. Both women hearing the unsaid words. _No one has ever truly listened to what I said._

"I'm glad I can make you happy. It's all I want and what I plan doing for a long time. " Jane said kissing Maura's lips before she continue while caressing the soft arms beneath hers. "But I know there's more to it. Why don't you tell me what's on your mind, Maur?"

Knowing she couldn't lie but not wanting to bring it up in the beginning of their night, Maura changed the subject instead: "Maur?" She asked Jane hopeful, her eyes shining with happiness at the nickname.

Jane smirked at the pure happiness on the blonde's face, "Yeah. Maur." She ended with a passionate kiss that was quickly deepened by Maura.

After getting lost in the kiss, the need to breathe made both women slowly ease out of the kiss with gentle pecks, their lips remaining close together as, once wandering hands, now found their resting place.

"Don't think I didn't realize what you did there, Maura." Jane mumbled since her mouth remained locked with Maura's.

"Oh?" Maura replied. "What did I do?"

"Distracted me to forget you didn't answer." Jane said, not understanding why she was so reluctant to talk.

Maura sighed realizing Jane wouldn't stop until she had her answer. The brunette could be quite stubborn when she wanted.

"I just..." The blonde uncharacteristically found herself without words "I need to talk to you about something but I wanted to enjoy our night first." She ended shyly, playing with one of the buttons of Jane's shirt.

The brunette, for her part, got a sinking feeling at her stomach with what she wanted to discuss. "What is it, Maur? We can talk about anything." She said, running her hands through Maura's arms in a smoothing way.

The blonde exhaled taking Jane's hand in her own leading them both to the couch. She looked into her favorite eyes, trying to find a clue of what Jane felt but she saw only apprehension and fear.

Jane's dread got bigger and bigger as Maura's struggled to begin became more obvious. "You can tell me anything, Maura." She said, squeezing the hands in her own.

Maura let out a small smile and caressed the Jane's cheek. "I wanted to talk to you sooner but you've made me so happy and I didn't want to bring it up in fear it would end what we have."

Upon hearing those words, Jane felt her heart breaking into pieces and no matter how she tried, she couldn't stop her eyes from filling with tears. "Are you saying you don't want to go out with me anymore? Do you want to end this?"

Maura's heart broke at the sight of her shining knight in despair "No! Of course not!" She said bringing Jane into a hug and kissing her entire face. "I just can't seem to find the right words tonight. I'm sorry! I don't want that at all!"

Jane took a few calming breaths at hearing Maura's desperate tone. "Dr. Isles speechless? That's a first." She joked; embarrassed about being vulnerable and knowing it would help her get out of the emotional state.

Maura let out a small laugh knowing exactly why Jane was joking, "Yes, it would appears so."

Both women stayed silent from a minute gathering themselves and trying to come up with a way to end this awkward situation. Eventually, Jane broke the silence "Just say whatever it is you're worrying about. I promise I'll still be here when you're done, okay?" She said, knowing it was the easiest promise she would ever make.

"I wanted to talk about you leaving to go to camp." Maura almost whispered. "I need to know where we stand."

"Oh. Hmm, I guess we should have talked about it before but for the first time in my life, whenever I think about playing football it doesn't feel as great as once felt and I know it's because the thought of leaving you is always the next one that comes to mind. And that scares me, Maur." Jane confessed, knowing she had to put her heart on the line to make Maura understand.

"As much as I don't want you to leave, I also don't want you to choose between playing and me." Maura said, knowing it was time to put everything out there. "I know it's what you love doing and I would never ask that." She ended, gathering courage to say her next words.

"I just want to know if you want to continue dating." Maura said shyly, fearful of the answer. She missed the outrageous look on Jane's face as she rambled on "I know you'll be surrounded with groupies and cheerleaders and women I could never compete with; so I'll understand if you want to enjoy that lifestyle."

"What?!" Jane said incredulous of what she was hearing as she saw the blonde carry on talking nonsense in her own little world. "Maur" Jane said trying to get her back "Maur!" She tried again but when she continue without success, she grabbed the doctor face and kissed her hard.

Maura got lost in the wonderful feeling of Jane's mouth on hers, her hands caressing every inch of the brunette's body, feeling the hard and lean muscles that pressed against her body as strong hands caressed her body, making her feel goosebumps all over.

Their heavy breathing was the only thing heard when the kiss ended, as both women got lost in each other's eyes. "Don't ever think there's anyone else more beautiful than you. They are the ones that can't compete with you; I've never met and will never meet anyone as beautiful than you, inside and out. I won't ever want anyone else." Jane said vehemently. "And I know it'll be hard, and that long distance relationships suck, and you can call me selfish but I don't wanna give you up. I want you and I know we can make it work. So I guess what I'm trying to say is; Maura Isles will you be my girlfriend?" Jane asked swallowing the knot in her throat. "Please say you will." She added after a moment of silence.

Maura for her part couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her eyes began to glisten with tears as soon as Jane started talking and by the end, her cheeks were wet with tears. The heavy drum of her heart reaching her ears almost made she miss the question she was waiting for. At the sight of hopeful but at the same time apprehensive expression on Jane's face, she knew it would all be worth it. "Yes." She whispered in a hushed tone, not even recognizing her own voice that was raw from tears.

"Yes?" Jane asked to confirm what she heard while a wide smile filled her face.

"Yes!" Maura squealed while glee while nodding her head, laughing as Jane kissed every piece of skin in front of her.

Her laughter turned into a moan as Jane's lips devoured her own. Both of them got lost in the passion and in the feeling that the other women invoked.

The sighs, moans and heated breaths were the sounds that filled the silence of the night. With their legs and arms intertwined, neither women could tell where one ended and the other begin. When Jane returned to Maura's neck and sweet spot, the blonde couldn't take it anymore and she took advantage of her hands being buried into dark locks to get Jane's attention.

Feeling tugs on her hair Jane looked up, wondering if she had done something wrong "Is everything all right, babe?" She asked her voice huskier than usual.

Maura's passion went up a knot and she had to concentrate to make words. "Let's go upstairs." She whispered into the night.

A thrill went by Jane's body at Maura's words however she forced herself to clear the fog in her mind. "Are you sure?" She asked, using her arms to lift her upper body to look more clearly at Maura's face. "What about dinner?" Jane almost didn't believe the words that she was saying. _What are you doing, Rizzoli? Wanna make her change her mind? This is what you've been dreaming of! No, I need to make sure this is what she really wants. If she wants to stop, you'll stop, Jane!_

Maura appreciated Jane's thoughtfulness, let out a flirty chuckle and said while running her hands through strong arms "I think we lost our reservation a long time ago, Jane." She continued, "Besides, I don't care where we go. All I want it be with you." Her arms wrapping around Jane's neck and bringing her into a heated kiss.

Jane lost control of the feelings she was holding back, grabbed Maura's waist and in one swift move, sit back with the Maura on her lap. Never breaking their kiss, Jane got up from the couch with Maura in her arms; the blonde letting out a squeal of surprise before quickly wrapping her legs around Jane's wait and firming her hand on the brunette's neck, while revealing in the feeling of strong hands caressing and supporting her butt and thighs. Feeling her desire sky rock at Jane's display of strength.

Luckily, they got to Maura's bedroom without any incident and only there, Jane lowered Maura to her feet. Time seemed to have stopped as they stood looking into each other's eyes, one silently asking permission while the other silently giving permission.

Words weren't needed for the rest of the night as Jane and Maura gave into the feelings that were building up and enjoyed each other throughout the rest of the night.

* * *

As clarity from the sunlight filled the room, Jane started to wake up, her eyes struggling to adjust to its surroundings. At first, Jane was confused by the heaviness of her body and by the different ceiling on top of her but her mind quickly caught up to reality. A wide smile took over Jane's face as she remembered the previous night events and at the sight of blonde locks laying on her chest.

Little movements from the woman on her chest told Jane, Maura was slowly waking up and as the blonde tried to cuddle closer to her body, Jane flexed the arm that was around the doctor, bringing her even more close.

After a few more minutes of simply enjoying each other company, Maura lifted up her head, looking into Jane's eyes.

"Good Morning, Jane."

"Good Morning, babe." Jane replied with a raspy voice form sleep, tracing her finger along Maura's face moving a few blonde locks back to their place. "Did you sleep ok? How are you feeling, Maur?"

Maura smile at the beautiful brunette, not believing her luck in finding such an amazing person after so many disasters relationship wise. "I'm perfect. I've never slept better, Jane."

"Me neither." Jane said, bringing Maura face closer as they shared a good morning kiss.

By the end of the kiss, they were in a completely different position as both women faced each other.

"I was right." Jane said while caressing Maura's face and hair.

Maura cocked her head to the side trying to understand what Jane was talking about, "You were right about what?"

Jane smiled at Maura's cute confused expression "I was right because ever since I met you I imagined you would be even more beautiful right after waking up."

The blonde blushed unaccustomed to such sincere compliment and under Jane's look, "I must look awful, Jane. I don't have any make up and I haven't even washed my face!" She replied.

Jane couldn't believe how lousy Maura must've been treated in the past to make her not believe how beautiful she is. "Right now you look better than a lot of women with make up! I would never lie to you. You're one of the most beautiful woman I've ever met. And I can never believe my luck to be able to share these moments and be with you." She ended with a passionate kiss to reaffirm her feelings.

Both women let themselves get lost in their want and only after a few more rounds of passion and the sound of their empty stomachs, they decided to get up from bed.

"Do you have to go to the hospital today, Maur?" Jane asked while they started to cook their breakfast.

"Yes. I have to go but my shift ends around five but I have tomorrow off." Maura replied.

Jane smiled and continued, "Well, since you're free tonight, can I pick you up around seven? I want to take you somewhere."

"Who said I'm free? Maybe I'm already going out." Maura replied, with a sly smile.

Jane decided to joke back and hardened her expression before turning to look straight at the blonde. "You're not free? Tell me, Dr. Isles, who's taking you out because I'm going to kick their asses."

."Tell me!" Jane moved quickly grabbing Maura around the waist tickling her. The blonde's laughter echoing around the house, as she tried to escape Jane's arms.

"I'm not going to stop until you give me a name." Jane said.

"Okay, okay!" Maura said, "I'll tell you."

Jane stopped her assault but kept her arms around Maura, fighting the smile that wanted to take over her face.

"Well, since you must know. I'm not free because I already had my night booked to spend with this brunette that entered my life not so long ago." Maura said giving Jane a passionate kiss, feeling Jane smile under her lips.

While Jane got the table ready for breakfast making sure everything they needed was there, she noticed Maura grab some strawberries and place them on a bowl.

"What's that for, Babe?" Jane asked curiously

"It's for Bass. He needs breakfast too, Jane." Maura replied in an obvious tone

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "I didn't know you had a pet. How come I haven't seen him yet?" She added, wondering where Maura's pet was hiding every time she was at the blonde's house.

Seeing the brunette's confusion, Maura said "Don't worry, Jane. He's just very shy." Giving her a light kiss "Oh look, there he is!" She added when noticing movement out of the corner of her eyes, moving to give her pet a light caress.

Jane watched as her girlfriend chatted excitedly to Bass, almost not believing what she was seeing. "So, Bass is a turtle?"

Maura turned back to look straight at Jane "He's a tortoise, Jane. _Geochelone sulcata_ , an African spurred tortoise. I've had him since he was very little." She added holding her fingers to demonstrate the size before turning back to look affectionately towards him.

Suddenly feeling reprimanded, Jane moved, squatted down beside Maura and greeted Bass.

"Hey, big guy. I'm Jane. Nice to meet you." She said gently petting his shell.

When he took a light step towards her, Jane asked "So why the name Bass?"

"William Bass," Maura answered, getting up to wash her hands. "The forensic anthropologist who founded the famous Body Farm."

"I see." Jane replied while washing her hands. It wasn't the most traditional choice of pet but the more she thought about it, she realized it suited Maura's adorable and quirky personality well. It was very endearing to watch Maura with Bass.

"So what are your plans for today, Jane? I need to know so I can choose what I'm going to wear." Maura asked while they both shared breakfast.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, Maur." Jane replied, finishing her breakfast. "Since I have to leave tomorrow, I need to eat dinner with my ma and brothers tonight but I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

"You want me to meet your family?" Maura asked.

"Well, yes. If you don't want to it's fine, I understand that. I mean, my family is a little crazy and most likely you won't want anything with me anymore after meeting them but I thought they could make you company after I leave if you ever feel lonely." Jane rambled her explanation.

The blonde smiled at the brunette's uncharacteristic ramble and when long arms started moving along with the explanation, Maura decided to stop Jane before she stressed herself even more.

Putting her hands on Jane's arms to catch her attention, Maura smiled at Jane when her eyes found her own.

"I would love to meet your family, Jane. Besides, I doubt they are as crazy as you're making them sound." Maura said.

Jane laughed "You'll see I'm right, babe." She moved to wrap her arms around Maura "Just don't let them scare you too much, okay?"

This time it was Maura who laughed, wrapping hear arms around Jane's neck. "I'll try to be big girl and not to be scared."

Jane asked, "Was that a joke?"

"Only if it was funny." Was the reply.

She laughed aloud at that, kissed Maura and said, "I think you're spending too much time with me."

Maura lifted one perfect sculpted eyebrow "Are you complaining?"

"Never!" Jane replied firmly, bringing Maura more into her arms and stealing one more kiss, loving how it quickly turned heated.

They eased out of it with gentle pecks and caresses "I'm gonna go make sure everything is ready for later, okay? Can I pick you up around 7?" Jane asked.

"I'll be waiting, Jay." Maura replied.

Jane smiled wide at the nickname, making sure Maura knew she liked it. "Thank you for last night." She said before stealing one smaller kiss "I'll see you later, beautiful." Jane said, grabbing her coat and heading back to her house.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Thank you for all the support. The reviews, alerts and favorites. I hope you all like this chapter. All the mistakes are my own.**

* * *

"Are you positive that I look good for tonight?" Maura asked Jane while they were on their way towards Angela's home.

"Are you kidding, Maur?" Jane replied, looking at her girlfriend who as always looked like she just stepped out of a high fashion runway. "You look amazing. Your casual clothes are my family's formal ones" she ended, watching Maura take deep breaths.

Jane glanced at her watch and decided she would rather comfort Maura and be late than on time while the blonde was nervous, so she slowed the car down and pulled over to the sidewalk.

"Jane what's wrong? We're going to be late!" Maura said nervously, when she noticed what the brunette was doing.

"I don't care." She replied taking her seatbelt off, turning her body to look straight at Maura. "I care about you. Tell me what's going on? Why are you so nervous?" She added, taking smaller hands into her own.

Maura sighed, followed Jane's lead and took her seatbelt turning her body to face the brunette. "I don't know. I've never felt this nervous in my previous relationships when meeting family members." She confessed, "I just want your family to like me. I know you're a very tight family, which is a traditional trade of Italian's families, and I want to make a good first impression since I expect if they don't like me, you'll probably be forced to break up with me." The doctor rambled on.

Jane knew Maura was nervous but never expected this much. When Maura finished talking, Jane wished they weren't in the car so she could wrap her arms around the blonde."Maur, look at me babe." She smiled a little when hazel eyes met her own. "First, yes we're very close but I would never let them get in the way of something that makes me happy and they would never ask me to let go knowing I would be miserable. Second, they are the ones that need to impress you, since my ma doesn't know what privacy and personal space is, I already know it won't be a good first impression but I just hope our crazy ways won't scare you away. And third, I'm nervous too. I want you to like them and I promise within 5 minutes you'll already be my ma's favorite, making her forget about all the rest of us." Jane ended, trying to reassure Maura.

Maura let out a laugh at her girlfriend " That's impossible, Jane. No mother would favor someone who isn't their child." She ended; glad to have the brunette by her side.

Jane kissed Maura softly and said, "We'll see who's right at the end of the night. My mother always wanted a doctor in the family." Making Maura laugh before starting her car again and driving them to Angela's house.

* * *

"We're here!" Jane yelled walking through Angela's front door, Maura a few steps behind holding tightly onto Jane's hand.

Hurried footsteps were heard coming from somewhere in the house and before she knew, Jane was wrapped in a tight hug. "Ok, Ma. Stop it." Jane said squirming, trying to break the hug.

Angela let her daughter go turning to look at Maura with huge smile on her face.

"Ma, this is Maura. My girlfriend." Jane said introducing the two of them, bringing Maura into her body by the waist.

Jane, noticing the look on her mother's face, quickly stepped between the both of them. "Ma, behave."

"Nonsense, Jane." Angela replied, moving Jane away.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Rizzoli." Maura said, extending her hand.

Angela took Maura's hand to shake it and with just a little pull, brought Maura into a hug squeezing her tight while Maura let out a surprised "Oh".

"The pleasure is all mine, honey." Angela said, ignoring Jane's expression towards her.

"Ma! Okay, okay. That's enough." Jane said while removing Angela's arms from her girlfriend.

Even though she was a little uncomfortable with Angela's actions, Maura found herself feeling sad that the warm hug ended. It was something she could definitely get used to.

"You have a lovely home, Mrs. Rizzoli." Maura said as Jane led her by the hand into the living room.

"Call me Angela, honey. And thank you, I know it's not much but it holds many memories." Angela replied.

"Hi, Jane!" An enthusiastic greeting interrupted Maura's thoughts, making her turn to see a young man making his way towards them and give Jane side hug with a pat on the back.

"Frankie, this is Maura." Jane introduced the two. "Maura, this is my brother, Frankie."

"Nice to meet you, Frankie." She said politely.

"So you're the famous doctor who my sister can't seem to stop talking about." Frankie said with light smirk that reminded Maura of Jane's but not as captivating as hers.

Maura internally swooned and hugged Jane a little more, after noticing the light blush in her cheeks. "Only good things, I hope." She teased them.

"Always, babe." Jane said before Angela called everyone over to the dinner table.

Maura discovered dinners at the Rizzoli's were very different from dinners with her own family. It was loud, there was food to feed twice as much people there and Angela clearly liked to know everything about her children's life, not battling an eye to their discomfort at sharing too much.

However, as unusual as this situation was to Maura, she found she liked the comradery between Frankie and Jane; and how caring and concern Angela was. It didn't matter she had only met her, but she already treated Maura as one of her own. She felt a tiny fear that, as she would grow to love being a part of this family, Jane would decide to end things.

"So, Maura, Jane told me you work at the hospital?" Angela asked wanting to find out more about her.

"Yes. I'm an attending. I've graduated at Boston Cambridge University and I was on call when Jane was in the ER." Maura said with a smile while taking a sip from her wine.

"An attending already? Very impressive!" Angela replied with an awe before turning to look at Jane "You finally found someone good for you, Janie!" she added not missing a chance to tease her daughter. "You know Maura; I've always wanted a doctor in the family." She added delighted to see the blush on both women cheeks.

Jane decided to ignore her mother's teasing and said, while wrapping her free arm around Maura's shoulders, "Yeah, my girlfriend is a genius." and kissed her cheek.

Maura felt her whole body heat up not used to the compliments and attention she was receiving. "I'm an average genius, Jane. It only takes 150 IQ points to be considered a genius." She said shyly.

Jane and Frankie chuckled while Angela smiled sweetly at her. "You're anything but average, Maur." Jane said giving her a kiss making Maura swoon at the sweetness of her girlfriend.

"Well, I hope everyone wants dessert." Angela said, getting up clearing the table to bring the dessert. "Let me help you, Angela." Maura said quickly getting up to help her, clearing hers and Jane's empty plates.

"Thanks, honey. I wish my own kids would move their skinny butt to help me" She replied, not missing a chance to guilt trip Frankie and Jane, knowing she would get eye-rolls in return.

"This is all my three kids' favorite dessert, Maura." Angela said, setting it on the table, smile slipping from its place when she realized what she said.

Jane and Frankie tensed at what they heard; Maura sensing the atmosphere and feeling Jane's hand tense into her own quickly thought of something to say, knowing it wasn't the time to ask Jane about it.

"I'm sure it's delicious, Angela." She said, "I'll even indulge and want a piece a little bigger than usual. I'll just have to schedule an extra yoga class this week."

"I didn't know you did yoga, babe." Jane said cutting a piece of the dessert for Maura. "I think I would enjoy going to your class, Maur." She added with a smirk on her face.

Maura smiled back at her saying "Really? I can always let you know when it is. I think you could benefit from the workout that it entails, Jane."

A loud laugh was heard from Frankie. "Oh, I'm sure she's thinking of the workout, alright, Maura."

At the confused look on the blonde's face, he added "I'm pretty sure she's only thinking about the "downward dog". He ended with a cheesy grin, his thoughts confirmed when Jane's smirk disappeared and she punched him on the arm.

"Don't you dare start thinking of the "Downward dog"" She said with a growl on her tone.

Maura continue not understanding what they were talking about and replied when Angela asked what the "downward dog" was.

"Well, Angela it's a yoga pose that helps stretch the spine muscles, legs, arms and arches. It releases tension. The person has to be with the hands on the mat and..." Maura suddenly stopped finally understanding what Jane was thinking about.

She turned to look at the brunette watching the smirk return to her face "Jane Rizzoli, not in front of your mother." She said, slapping Jane's arm while Frankie laughed at his sister.

"I still don't get it." Angela said watching the three of them having fun.

Jane stopped squirming under Maura's assault to say "Nothing, Ma. Forget about it."

Angela narrowed her eyes at her daughter and Jane knew she would look it up. Coursing Frankie for her predicament, she quickly changed the subject. She turned to look at her brother and when he noticed the look on her face, he knew he was in trouble.

"How's that girl you were seeing, Frankie?"

At Jane's question, Angela quickly turned to her son. "What girl, Francesco Junior? I can believe you're keeping a girl from me."

Jane chuckled silently and looking at her girlfriend she noticed a huge smile on Maura's face. "What, Maur?"

"Nothing, Jane." The blonde replied but knew right away the brunette wouldn't be satisfied. Noticing Frankie and Angela were still in their own world, she leaned into her girlfriend, feeling an arm bring her in even more. She placed her head on Jane's neck before saying quietly. "I never thought I would be a part of this. I'm just really happy, Jane."

Jane sensed the blonde didn't want to say more in front of their company, so she simply kissed the blondes forehead, wrapping her tight in her arms. She knew they would talk about it later.

The rest of the night carried on with all the laughter inside the Rizzoli home. To Jane the night was a success, not that she had any doubt. Angela loved Maura and didn't bother to hide the fact Maura would quickly became her favorite. And Frankie welcomed her with open arms.

* * *

As Jane drove Maura back to her house, the brunette could tell Maura was incredible happy about how the night turned our. She knew her girlfriend was scared of not fitting in but Jane never had any doubt.

Since it was their last night together before Jane had to leave for camp, even before leaving, the ladies had already decided to stay home and have a quiet night just the two of them.

And that's how they were now; cuddle up on the couch, after making love just moments after entering Maura's home, with only the sound of an opera Maura put on in the background.

They were lying in almost darkness, with only few lights illuminating their night, a naked Jane lying on it while Maura was lying half on top of her and half on the couch, her head on Jane's chest and a soft blanket covering them as Jane's hands caressed Maura's hair.

Though Jane was completely relaxed and didn't want to break their comfort silence, the thought she had at Angela's house kept entering her mind and she knew she had to ask Maura about it face to face and not wait for when she was away.

"Maur?" She said quietly.

"Hmm?" The softness of her reply, would have made Jane think the blonde was almost sleep but the constant strokes on her stomach proved her girlfriend was awake.

"What happened back at the house?" She said simply and quietly, knowing Maura would understand.

Maura sighed against Jane and buried her face into the brunette's chest, taking comfort and strength from her scent and presence.

Maura knew she wouldn't be able to escape this conversation and to her surprise, she didn't want to. She wanted to share everything with Jane, even if it scared her.

The fact that she wanted Jane to know everything at her life, didn't make it easier for her; it didn't erase her embarrassment so she kept her head tucked away into her girlfriend's chest as she started talking.

"Our families are just so different, Jane." She said, not knowing were to start. "My parents adopted me but I've never felt loved. I don't remember celebrating my birthdays with my parents, for instance. From my childhood, I remember nannies and drivers but never sharing things with my mother or simply being with them. There was always an agenda and formality around us." She stopped feeling tears pooling in her eyes.

Maura sniffed, a few tears escaping when she felt Jane hug her tighter and kiss her hair in a comforting way. Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"I was sent to boarding school and after that our relationship was defined as phone calls at festivities and holidays. We don't share our feelings; we simply announce events that happened. Through all my accomplishments, I've never heard them say they were proud of me. And it got to a point where I just didn't know how to ask them to say it."

Up until that moment, Jane had decided to stay silent until Maura was finished but feeling even more tears running down her chest, she decided to intervene. Jane sat up with Maura on her lap, straddling her, and wrapped her long arms around the blonde. She ran her hands through Maura's back, hoping to comfort and calm her girlfriend without words.

Feeling the support and warmth coming from Jane, Maura managed to calm herself enough to continue.

"You always say your family in over barring and knows no personal boundaries, but that moment at your mother's house, I've felt like I was in the presence of a real family. I'll admit you were right about them being loud, but Jane, I've never had someone who took an interest and cared for me as your mother clearly does for you and Frankie." Maura said looking into brown eyes that captivated her.

"I do." Jane interrupted her.

"What?" Maura asked not understanding.

"You've never had anyone who cared for you until me. I care for you, Maur. What I feel for you, Maura, I've never felt in my whole life. I want to give you everything that I have. I want to give you the world but it still feels like it's not even a small part of what you deserve." Jane said looking into green eyes "And I promise right now to always try to give you everything you deserve. Everything I have its yours. Everything that I'm is yours. I'm all yours. With me, you never have to ask anything. It's simply already all yours." Jane ended, pouring her heart out.

Everything Maura had been holding back came to surface during Jane's speech and with more tears running through her cheeks; she kissed her girlfriend passionately, hoping to transmit everything she was feeling to the brunette. Her love, her gratitude and her happiness.

As the kiss eased out, both of them had smiles on their faces. "And you better get used to dinners like tonight's." Jane said smiling.

"Oh yeah?" Maura replied bashful.

"Absolutely. I already told I want to be with you for a long time." Jane said pecking her smiling lips "And besides, my mother clearly loved you so even if you decide you don't me anymore you won't be able to get rid of Angela Rizzoli. You're her favorite now." She ended watching Maura's smile grow even more, if possible.

"Really?" Maura asked delighted.

"Oh yeah, trust me on this. I've been trying for over almost twenty years and I can't get rid of her." Jane joked, wanting to lighten the mood.

Maura slapped her girlfriend in the arm lightly knowing she was joking. Jane tightened her hold on Maura's waist smiling wide as Maura's arms went around her neck.

"And just so you know, Jane, not wanting to be with you will never happen." She said bringing her lips closer to Jane's before saying, "Take me to bed." Immediately feeling hands support her thighs as she was carried upstairs.

* * *

The next morning was a bittersweet one. Both ladies were up early since Jane had to present herself around 3 PM at the training camp. They had breakfast together and the plan was that Jane would go back to her place to pick up her bags, stop by Angela's to say goodbye to her mother and brother and then, come back to Maura's so they could say goodbye.

Now they stood face to face, Jane's back leaning on her car, with her arms around Maura's waist, while Maura's were around her neck. They stayed a few minutes in silence trading kisses and looking in each other's eyes before it was time.

"Please, text me when you get there?" Maura asked.

"Don't you have back-to-back surgeries today, Maur?" Jane replied. The doctor had moved a few surgeries up, wanting to have something to distract her and not spend the whole day being sad.

"Yes. I'll probably reply later than usual but I'll be worried something happened at the road, if you don't."

Jane smiled, kissing her girlfriend lightly before saying "Okay. I promise."

Jane realized it was time for her to leave otherwise she would stay forever. She tighten her hold bringing Maura into a hug, the doctor realizing it was time quickly responded, both women burying their faces into their safe place - each other's neck.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Maur." Jane said into the blonde's ear.

"I'll miss you too." Maura replied sniffing unsheathed tears.

Jane pulled back to look at the woman who captured her heart in only a few days. "I'll call you every chance I get, okay? I know the distance will suck but I promise to always do my best, okay?" She said letting her emotions get the best of her. "Just tell me if you get tired of it, okay? I won't blame you." Jane insecurities got to the surface.

"I won't, Jay. I am aware that it won't be easy but I know we can do it." Maura replied, her heart breaking at the sight of Jane even thinking that.

Maura moved her face and captured Jane's lips in a passionate kiss. They moved in harmony, lips caressing and tongues mixing, neither wanting to let go. When air became an issue they were forced to separate, with rapid breaths.

"I'll see you later?" Jane said not wanting to say goodbye.

"Go be great and be safe." Maura replied, stepping away from Jane, watching the brunette get in her car.

When she was strapped and ready to go, Jane turned to Maura and with a cheesy smile asked, "One more kiss, for the road?"

Maura chuckled at her playful girlfriend "How about two?" She replied leaning in and kissing her twice, before stepping away from the car and watching Jane drive away, feeling Jane take part of her heart with her.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you again for reading. I still don't know how I'm going write the next chapters but I'll try to continue to do a good job.**

 **Until next time! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N:Thank you again for all the alerts, reviews and favorites. It took me a while to decide how to write this next chapter, but I hope you all like how I did it. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

It has been a few weeks since training camp began and, despite the distance, their relationship didn't stop growing. They knew it would take a lot of effort from both of them to maintain their relationship and both Maura and Jane made sure to have time and not to miss their daily talk, via phone call or video chat. In addition, they constantly exchanged texts throughout the whole day, not wanting to increase the chances of being teared apart by leading totally different lives.

With the tight schedule and exhausting training, Jane hadn't been able to go back to Boston on the weekends yet. While she loved playing and was grateful for the opportunity she got, being away from everyone always saddened her.

As one of the rookies this season, Jane was getting a lot of the brunt from her teammates. Some talked to her, some didn't. Some were nice, some weren't. It wasn't a nice feeling but Jane was used to having to prove herself; the trash talk fueling her to work even more.

But on the bright side, it wasn't just with her. The other rookies were getting the same treatment maybe because the older players didn't know which ones would stay or go. Coach Cavanaugh drove a tight ship and always announced no one had a permanent and secured spot. It would depend on your work and attitude.

Due to all that, Jane mostly stayed with the rookies. She gave her best in practice, watching and learning everything, but stayed out of the gossip. She would hang out with the players outside practice but didn't want her progress to be damaged by getting in the middle of situation that it wasn't her business.

One player she got along great and hoped they stayed together on the team was a rookie Wide Receiver named Barry Frost. On the second day of practice, they started talking and ever since then, a friendship was born. They both felt good about having someone to talk to in the same situation as them.

At the moment, Jane was alone in her hotel room with her tablet in front of her waiting for Maura to video call her. Jane smiled when Maura's happy face appeared on screen.

"Hi, Babe!" Jane said happily.

"Hi, Jane! I miss you." Maura replied with a pout.

"I miss you too, Maur." Jane said before continuing, not wanting to bring down their time together "How was your shift today?"

"It was quiet, but I've finally managed to schedule a meeting with my boss to talk about some of the changes I wanted to make. I have some ideas on new surgical techniques that could really help expand the hospital's notability." Maura explained, "I just hope he'll see the benefits of my ideas." She finished, noticing a smile on Jane's face.

"What?" She asked;

"Nothing, Maur." Jane replied, loving how Maura's face light up when talking about her ideas and thoughts. "Your boss would be a fool not to listen to you."

Maura's cheeks reddened at the compliment, looking down for a moment to gather herself before continuing with their talk.

"And how was practice today?" Maura asked, knowing some of the players weren't as welcoming as Jane hoped.

"The same. I'm pretty beat but coach seems to like what I've been doing. And even though their official quarterback, Michael, still isn't giving me much advice I'm trying to watch his practice and I've been reviewing their tape games." Jane replied with a shrug, feeling like she should be doing more.

Maura didn't really know what to say to stop Jane from feeling down; it was times like these she wished she was better interactions. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sure everyone is noticing how hard you're working. You always show up an hour earlier and leave an hour later than anyone; just continue to do your best, okay?" Maura said trying to comfort the brunette; "It's always difficult being new on any job. Give it time and they'll warm up to you."

Jane smiled at how her girlfriend always said the right things to her. "Thanks, Maur. And don't worry, I'll won't stop. Besides, Frost said every rookie is being treated like that; so I know it's not just me. He said that the guys that aren't helping us are having problems renewing their contract. So maybe they're jealous or something."

"I agree, Jane. They probably know how good you are." Maura replied, happy she had put a smile on her girlfriends face. "And how is your friend, Barry?"

Jane laughed at Maura calling him by his first name. "He's good. Coach seems to like him too." A beep from her phone interrupted what she was going to say, Jane wasn't going to look but Maura insisted saying it could be important.

"Speaking of him, it's just a text from Frost, I'll check it later, babe." Jane said, putting the phone down.

"He could be needing assistance, Jane. It's late and you said he has no family near." Maura said, insisting Jane checked the text.

"He's a grown man, Maur! He can take care of himself." Jane replied, not wanting to interrupt her time with Maura.

The blonde simply arched an perfectly shaped eyebrow and the brunette sighed loudly before checking it.

"Nothing important, babe. He just wants to know if I wanted to hang out later tonight." Jane told her girlfriend before putting the phone away.

"You should go, Jane. It will be good for you to relax." Maura said, a thought entering her mind but she quickly put it away not wanting Jane to worry. "I'll be having dinner at your mother's so I'll be home later than usual, anyway."

Jane was happy Maura was getting along great with her mother; she knew Angela would always keep Maura company. And even thought Maura tried to hide it, Jane noticed the different look that passed on her face and while she hated talking about some things, she knew that with their distance, they needed to have a total honestly policy.

"Okay, babe. I'm glad you and my mother are getting along great, just please don't let her invite herself too much in your life; next thing you'll know, she'll be moving in with you." Jane joked with a serious face.

Maura laughed at the brunnete. "Don't worry, Jane." She replied before deciding to tease her girlfriend, "If she asks, I'll say no because I know you wouldn't Angela to hear us having sex in every room."

"Maura!" Jane exclaimed, feeling embarrassed by the blonde's words. Even though there was no one there and it was impossible of happening, Jane couldn't help looking around the room hoping no one at the hotel heard them.

The doctor laughed at Jane's reaction, not understanding how she could be so self-conscious about some things. Maura loved this part of their relationship, she never laughed as much as she does now she's with Jane.

Jane cleared her throat trying to get rid of her embarrassment. "I'll text Frost later saying yes, then." She said before asking, "And are you going to tell me what were you thinking after I told you what he wanted?"

Maura looked down and said, "It's nothing, Jane. I was just being silly."

"Maura." Jane said softly "Your feelings are never silly. Tell me please. Total honesty, remember?"

Maura knew Jane was right, they had agreed never to hide anything if they were going to make it work. She sighed before starting, "I was just wondering if, well, Barry knows you're in a relationship, right? I mean, he couldn't possibly be hopeful anything will happen between the two of you, right?"

Jane knew this situation was going to happen for the both of them so she was quick to reassure Maura, not wanting her to feel bad or insecure.

"Maura, babe, I promise there's no hope of that. I made it very clear to everyone that I am in a loving and happy relationship. I talk about you all the time and I keep a picture of us in my locker." Jane smiled at the blonde, noticing how she brightened when hearing that. "I promise we're just friends and he knows it too. Don't worry, okay?" She ended hoping to have calm Maura.

"Okay. I trust you." Maura replied honestly. And she did trust Jane. She just didn't trust the others; however she knew Jane was the same with her. "I need to go get everything ready for tonight, I'm bringing desert."

"Ah man! I can't believe I'm going to miss it." Jane said, pouting a bit.

Maura laughed at her silliness, "I'll buy some for when you're here."

"Okay, I'll let you go. Be safe? And text me when you get back? If not, you know I'll worry." Jane asked, protectively.

"I will. You be safe too. Don't drink too much, and drink plenty of water later." Maura advised, not wanting the brunette to feel hungover the next day.

"I promise. I miss you. Talk to you later, Maur." Jane said, sending a kiss via the computer.

"I miss you too. Bye, honey." Maura replied, sending kisses back.

* * *

Later that night, Jane walked through the doors of a popular sports bar near the hotel she was staying casting a look everywhere searching for Frost, finally spotting him waving for her attention.

"Hey man, you've been here long?" Jane asked, while sitting after greeting her teammate.

"Just got here. But I've already ordered us both a beer, is that ok or you want another drink?" Frost asked, already looking around searching for their waiter.

"Don't worry. It's perfect. I really need a few drinks to unwind." Jane replied as their beers arrived and they clinked their bottles before taking a sip.

"Oh yeah? And what would your girlfriend say if she knew you are out in the town with me?" Frost asked teasingly.

"Ha Ha." Jane replied, "As a matter of fact, Maura knows we're here. I was talking to her when you texted and wasn't going to come but she convinced me otherwise." She ended, feeling like she had won in his game.

"That's surprising. I don't think any of my girlfriends ever encourage me to go to a bar without them. You're a lucky girl, Jane. Don't let her get away." Frost said seriously before deciding to tease Jane more by adding, "Or you know, maybe she wanted you to come tonight so she could go out with her own friends to a bar tonight and have her own fun."

Jane smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl as she reach forward punching Frost's arm lightly as her answer. "Very funny." She said before continuing, "Luckily for you I trust Maura as she does me; otherwise I would already be on my way to Boston to punch anyone who decides to hit on her."

Frost nodded in agreement and said, "What about next Friday? You going back? I heard coach was going to give us the three days off to rest. I'm already planning to go home."

"Yeah, I heard that too." Jane replied, "Depending on what time it ends, I'm actually thinking of leaving Thursday straight out of practice. That way I get one extra night with my girl."

"Nice!" Frost agreed, "That's a good idea, maybe I'll take my things to the stadium and leave straight to the airport too. Hopefully, coach will confirm this rumor. It will be our first break in weeks. And what did Maura said when you told her? She must be making all kind of plans." He asked.

"I haven't told her." Jane replied, "I didn't want to get her hopes up in case coach changed his mind; and I thought it would be a good surprise for her. I'll just have to make sure she isn't working next weekend but I'll just insist she takes those days off to rest. She's been working nonstop lately." Jane added, as they ordered another round of beers.

Meanwhile as both friends continued to talk, back in Boston Maura got out of the car walking towards Angela's front door knocking on it and patiently waited for someone to answer it.

"Hey Maura, come on in." Frankie greeted her, taking the desert from her hands while they both walked towards the kitchen.

"Thank you, Frankie. Hello, Angela. How are you today?" Maura said, being greeted by Angela with the most anticipated hug.

"Maura, my dear! Just in time. Everything is ready and the table set." Angela said, not wasting any time.

"I'm sorry for not getting here earlier to help, Angela. I thought I would be able to dress in time however Jane and I lost track of time talking, making me a little later than I wanted." Maura, ever the polite, apologized.

"Nonsense, Maura. We would have waited for you." Angela replied, smiling. "And how's my Janie?" She asked while the three of them started eating.

"She's good. Tired from the constant exercises but she seems to really be happy." Maura replied with a smile. "I do know she misses you two very much." She added, looking back at Frankie and Angela.

"We miss her too. Not having my babies here is hard, especially being the second one gone but we know it's what she loves doing so we'll all support it." Angela said, not realizing her slip.

"And besides, we remember how disappointed she was with herself when some people inside the NFL said she wouldn't be drafted. She was even considering applying for Boston's PD as a job alternative in case she really wasn't called up." Not wanting to get in uncomfortable talks, Frankie added looking back at Maura knowing she would like to know these little things about Jane's life before her.

Maura noticed Angela slip but decided again to ask Jane later and asked Frankie wondering what had happened, "Really? Why wouldn't she be hired?" _Although Jane would look devilish delicious in a police uniform._ She thought to herself, feeling her body respond to that image.

"Well, I don't know exactly. Jane didn't like to talk about it. From what I could understand the teams are still a little unsure about hiring women as players. Even though there's a lot of women coaches, not so much players." Frankie replied to the sweet doctor; "That's why we had a major celebration when she got drafted in the 100 position. For Jane, it doesn't matter she wasn't picked first; she actually uses that as a fuel to prove herself." He ended, giving Maura an insight on Jane's feelings.

"Yes, Janie knows how hard she had to work to get where she is now; that's why she won't stop working hard until she proves to everyone she's as good as the guy that was picked first." Angela added.

Maura was happy to hear all these things about Jane. It felt good learning whom Jane was from the two people who knew her the best; hearing all these stories only confirmed to Maura what she already knew about Jane. Maura felt her feelings for the brunette grow even more.

The three managed to finish dinner and desert in the mist of laughter and stories from Frankie and Jane childhood. They were connect with Jane absence being the link and those stories lessened the distance between them all.

"Well, I suppose it's time for me to go." Maura said, noticing the time after having coffee and helping Angela clean up everything.

"Already?" Angela said sadly. "You can stay if you want." She offered.

"Thank you, Angela but I really don't want to impose." Maura replied.

"Maura is probably tired and wants to relax, Ma." Frankie added, noticing how Maura was uncomfortable, not knowing how to say no to Angela.

"Of course! You need to rest well. Thank you for the company, dear." Angela said, moving to hug Maura good-bye while mother and son escorted her to the door.

Maura said her good-byes, getting into her car before taking out her cellphone to text Jane, letting her know she was going home.

 _I am leaving Angela's house and going home. Are you still with Frost? Wanted to see you before bed._

Maura sent out that simple text hoping Jane would be able to chat in bed. For some reason, seeing Jane's face right before sleeping made Maura feel closer to her.

Halfway home, Maura's phone beep and she used the red light to check it.

 _I was but I'm leaving now. I'll be at the hotel in 5. I'll be ready and waiting for you._

Reading Jane's reply made a wide smile fill her face. Maura rationalized and thought the urge to use her powerful car to speed home. She did however let herself go 3 mph over the speed limit to get to her computer faster. _It's worth it._

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you again for reading. Let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N:Thank you again for all the alerts, reviews and favorites. I hope you all like this new chapter. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Jane hurried through the parking lot towards her car, after leaving practice and saying good-bye to Frost and a few others teammates.

Most of them would stay in Foxborough relaxing or with family that had come with them, but Frost and Jane would be leaving. Frost was going home to stay with his mother and her friend while Jane was excited about surprising Maura in Boston.

She had to make a few changes in her plan because, while she had convinced Maura to get some rest for the next days, Maura went to work today since she didn't want to reschedule a surgery that the patient had been waiting for a long time.

Jane loved Maura's dedication so she didn't mind changing her plans. Now instead of surprising Maura at her house, Jane decided to surprise Maura at the hospital right after the end of shift.

Luckily, Jane didn't encounter much traffic so she managed to make good time, giving her time to stop by her house to shower, deciding to leave her car there so she and Maura could ride together tonight. Jane called a cab, asking him to drop her off a block from the hospital to buy some flowers at the nearest flower shop. Maura had texted her a few hours ago saying that the surgery had been a success, making Jane assume Maura wouldn't be forced to stay any longer than necessary tonight.

The brunette managed to enter the hospital parking lot by bypassing the security guard when he had his back turned. And she quickly scanned the cars in search of Maura's Prius, not wanting to miss the sweet doctor. Jane found it parked beneath the light bulb glow, one nearest to the elevators door; making the brunette happy and relieved as it was a sign Maura was listening to her pleas to be careful and tips to do so. _Even if you are a little over protective sometimes, Rizzoli._

Jane was torn about hiding or being the first thing Maura saw off the elevator but not wanting to scare her girlfriend, she decided to lean on the Prius and wait for her in plain sight.

Maura was tired but satisfied at the end of her shift as she entered the elevator near her office, riding it down to the parking lot. She fished her keys inside her bag as she heard the beeps of the passing floors, and the elevator started to lose speed, signing it would soon arrive where she wanted. Her head remained down as she stepped out of the elevator, walking forward knowing her car wasn't far away.

"What? Not even a Hello?" Jane said teasingly when she saw Maura head was still down.

When Maura heard the husky voice that said "Good Night" to her every night, her body froze as her mind hoped it wasn't an illusion caused by her exhaustion. She slowly lift up her head, her eyes instantly locking with brown ones.

"Jane." She whispered, making the brunette step away from the car and move towards her.

"Hey, Maur." Jane said when she reached the blonde. "Surprise! These are for you." She added, with a sly smile, handing Maura the bouquet.

"They're beautiful, thank you." Maura said, smelling the flowers. "I missed you." She added, almost as a confession and closed the distance between them, her arms going around Jane's neck as long ones went around her waist.

"I missed you too, babe." Jane whispered burying her face into Maura's neck and hair, delighting herself in the calm that went through her as she took in the blonde's scent. Jane couldn't help herself and started dropping kisses all along Maura's neck, cheeks and finally reaching her mouth, catching it in a passionate kiss, feeling Maura respond and match her intensity as they started to make up for the kisses shared over the computer.

It was only the burning in their lungs that made them step away from each other, both ladies grinning and just breathing each other in. They were lost in each other, forgetting where they were until a teasing whistle from somewhere in the parking lot brought them both back.

Jane looked around trying to see who it was but decided it was best if they left. She didn't want Maura to suffer any harmful judgment or be the gossip of the hospital. "Are you ready to go, Maur?" She asked, running her hands through the blonde's arm. "I'm sorry I got carried away. I don't want to cause you any problems here at your work."

Maura smiled sweetly at the obvious care of her girlfriend. "Don't worry, Jane." She said pecking the brunette's lips. "While I admit, I never thought we would be making out in a parking lot, I just missed you too much." She added, ending their embrace and taking Jane's hand in her own. "Besides, there won't be any problem. The gossip doesn't bother me and the chief knows if he says anything, I have plenty of offers to work somewhere else." She ended, as she unlocked her Prius.

"He probably knows you would be a pretty hard loss to this hospital, babe." Jane said, proud of Maura. "Ready to go home?" She added, entering the passenger side at Maura's smile and nod, watching the blonde follow her, buckling in the driver's seat and soon they were driving away.

* * *

The ladies decided to drive through their favorite Thai food restaurant and get some take out before driving to Maura's house. It went unsaid but neither wanted to leave after arriving at Maura's.

They arrived at the house anxious to reconnect and to be alone. After getting their food into the plates, Maura and Jane settled down at the couch together to eat.

"You never told me why you're here, Jane." Maura said after a bite.

"What? Do I need a reason? Aren't you happy to see me?" Jane teased, pouting turning her head away not wanting Maura to see her smile.

"Of course I am!" A chocked Maura exclaimed, setting her plate on the table; "I couldn't be happier." She added, grabbing Jane's chin forcing her to look at her. Upon noticing Jane's smirk, Maura quickly caught on and released Jane's chin folding her arms, bringing her own pout to the game. "You're teasing me."

Jane laughed at the situation "I'm sorry, Maur. I just couldn't resist." The brunette said, pecking Maura's lips while giving her best face and smile to be on Maura's good books again.

The blonde knew her girlfriend had an act for jokes, one of the things she liked the most about Jane and their relationship. That said, she enjoyed the attention and let Jane suffer a little more in punishment before transforming one of the pecks into a full-blown kiss, making them end up cuddled up in the couch.

"Nothing happened, Maur." Jane replied to her question, playing with Maura fingers. Occurring to her that it was one of those cheesy couples' acts, she never considered doing in her previous relationships but it felt right with Maura. Jane wanted to do everything with Maura. "I guess, coach just thought we could all use a break. I left soon after it ended today and I'll have to be back for Monday's practice."

"That's why you were so insistent wanting me to take these days off." Maura said, adding the pieces. "How long have you know?"

"I was a rumor on Friday but coach only confirmed this week." Jane said, "I wanted it to be a surprise. And I hope I didn't cross the line being too insisting. I'll never say what you can or can't do but even if I couldn't come I wanted you to get some time for yourself." She added, running her thumb through Maura's cheek.

"I know, Jane. You didn't cross any line and I know you have my best interest at heart. I loved this surprise." Maura said, kissing Jane lightly. "Besides, we're in a relationship, I would like to think we can talk about our careers and we can both give our opinions without fear of being misunderstood. I value your opinion and I agree I have been working more than usual, I'll think about going back to my regular scheduled. I hope you value my opinion too." She ended shyly.

"Of course I value your opinions, babe. To be honest, never in my life, I looked forward to sharing my thoughts, career and life with someone but I do it with you. With all the negatives things happening that camp, your faith, opinions and encouragement are what drives me on." Jane said passionately.

Maura kissed Jane fiercely, pouring all her feelings into the kiss, feeling Jane return them in the same intensity. The blonde ended the kiss, smiling at the whine she got from Jane. Maura stood up, pulling Jane with her. And, without saying another word, led the brunette towards her bedroom upstairs where they got lost in each other, reveling in the feelings evoked.

* * *

The sun light streamed through the curtains, hitting the freckles on the doctor's skin. The sun on her face slowly brought Maura out of her dream world; waking her up to a new day. Maura squeezed her eyes shut; the harsh contrast hurting them and she buried her face into her pillow not wanting to get up.

Her conscious mind slowly started to make itself known, her body moving to stretch itself but finding restrictions holding it in place. Maura opened her eyes, looking for what was trapping hers. A brief moment of panic ran through her body when she saw arms around her waist but it was gone in a flash replaced by warmth as she remembered Jane had returned last night. Not wanting to leave their cocoon, Maura snuggled her body even more into Jane's front.

After a few moments of simply enjoying the feelings Jane gave her, as memories of the day and night before ran through her mind, Maura felt Jane's arms tighten around her waist and her hair being used as a hiding place for Jane's face. She remained quiet as her girlfriend slowly woke up.

"Morning." Maura heard the husky voice say, before feeling light kisses on her neck.

Maura turned around in Jane's arms, moving to face the brunette. "Morning." She answered running her hands through Jane's arms.

"I've missed this." Jane said, running her fingers through Maura's hair, removing a fallen lock from her face. "I've missed waking up next to you." She added, marveling at how much Maura's presence calmed and grounded her.

Jane was never someone who enjoyed cuddling with her former lovers, always leaving the bed without a second thought. However, with Maura, it was the opposite; she didn't want to leave their bubble. She would be happy to spend every minute of the day like this with Maura.

"I've missed this too." Maura said, bringing their lips together in a light kiss. Waking up next to Jane was like nothing she ever felt before.

Jane took advantage of their kiss, bringing Maura closer to her body, catching Maura's lips in another kiss. One more passionate them the others, deepening as soon as Maura allowed her to. The brunette lost herself in Maura, moving to be on top of her, burying her face in the delectable neck as her hand explored Maura's body.

The blonde's hands divided themselves in Jane's hair and back as toned yoga legs locked around Jane's waist as both ladies enjoyed each other in a few rounds of making love before reluctantly getting up to start their day.

* * *

"What do you want to do today?" Maura asked while they had breakfast.

Jane lowered her juice glass, looking straight at Maura.

"I didn't plan anything for today. So, we can do anything you want. Tomorrow though we already have plans." Jane replied.

"There's this open street fair happening today and since it only happens once a month, I wanted to go. What do you think?" Maura asked.

"Sounds good, babe. I told you whatever you want." Jane replied sweetly, pecking Maura's lips while getting up to clean their plates.

Maura smiled wide excitedly while working together with Jane to clean everything up. They worked quietly but fast and soon everything was in order.

"Don't think I didn't notice you didn't say where we are going tomorrow." Maura said drying her hands.

"It's a surprise, Maur. You'll know when we get there." Jane said not budging.

"Please, Jane. Tell me." Maura said, wrapping her arms around Jane's waist. Seeing the negative shake of her head, Maura tried a different approach. "How will I know what to wear? Please babe." She said, pecking Jane's lips continuously, her hands stroking Jane's abdomen.

Jane felt shivers from Maura's acts, getting lost in having the doctor in her arms. She struggled to maintain her stance. "Maur, babe please." She said, feeling Maura's lips attack her neck marking its path. Jane lost control over her hands as they moved to grip Maura's waist. Jane gave up and surrendered to the feelings running through her.

"Okay, okay. You win." She whispered and instantly Jane felt Maura's lips leave her skin, frowning at the sudden end of her ministrations. Jane opened her eyes, blinking to focus and looked down at Maura; seeing the look on the blonde's face she knew she had fallen into the trap.

"I'll make you a deal. I want to keep where we're going a surprise. But I'll tell you what to wear, okay?" Jane said, trying to please her.

Getting a nod in return, she continued. "I guess you can dress a little fancy. Not to formal but it's fancy."

Maura's face illuminated at the prospect of where they were going but satisfied herself with Jane's information. "I can't wait." The blonde said catching Jane's lips, as the brunette lifted her up to wrap her legs around her waist as they moved to the bedroom to finish what they started.

* * *

A few hours later the ladies walked lazily with their arms around each other through the vendors and booths, smiling as some children ran in between them, zig-zagging through the pedestrians.

The atmosphere was light as they stopped at every other booth to view their products, some capturing Maura's interest while others giving them laughs after trying them on. Maura end up buying some unique decoration articles while Jane, after Maura's approval, bought Ray Ban sunglasses, laughing at the poor attendant who listened to a lecture by Maura of the dangers of buying sunglasses without the proper certification and replied to all her safety questions. Only after being satisfied, Maura told her it would be safe to buy it.

Normally, Jane would be angered by anyone meddling in her decisions, saying what she could or couldn't buy but with Maura, she knew it came from a place of caring. She let the blonde bombard the young seller with questions, knowing it was one of the unique trades of Maura and it would make the blonde happy. Contrary to finding it annoying, Jane found it sweet and reveled on the fact that Maura wanted to take care of her. Therefore, she let her, as she knew the doctor also let Jane take care of her in her own way.

They enjoyed their afternoon together at the fair, deciding to take refuge by the park trees, away from the crowd but still able to listen to the band playing on the background. They sat together to relax and eat their lunch, enjoying the lightness of their day before going back to Maura's house to continue savoring each other's company and time together. It was a silent agreement no one was allowed inside their bubble in their weekend together.

* * *

The next day went by in the same way, without any rush and no desire to be apart, Jane left Maura's house only when the time to get ready for their date got near. She left Maura alone with a passionate kiss and a promise to be by her door at 7:30 PM sharp to pick her up.

After making sure she wasn't forgetting anything, Jane rang Maura's doorbell on time, with the customary bouquet of flowers in hand waiting for Maura to open up. She would swear to anyone her heart skipped a bit when her eyes landed on the vision that was Maura.

The blonde was dressed impeccably in a gorgeous green dress, wavy locks and high heels. Jane would never understand how someone like Maura would want to be in a relationship with her. She would never take her for granted.

"Wow, Maur. You look amazing. Beautiful." Jane said handing Maura her flowers, feeling she lacked the words to compliment her girlfriend but hoped Maura saw the truth in her eyes.

Maura blushed and delighted herself with Jane's words and in feeling of the brunette's eyes taking her in, lust and something else she didn't allow herself to name, clear in them. "Thank you, Jane. You look quite beautiful too." She said, her own eyes appraising her gorgeous girlfriend; knowing her eyes would also reflect what she saw in Jane's.

Jane blushed under Maura's gaze. "Are you ready? We need to hurry if we are going to make it to our reservation." She said, offering her arm, to help the blonde to the car.

"And am I allowed to know where we're going now?" Maura asked excitedly as they started their night.

Jane pretended to think, enjoying the look on Maura's face before replying. "I suppose I can tell you our first stop of the night." Jane tease her, and then laughed as Maura crossed her arms and an impatient look appeared on her face.

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you." Jane said, putting a smile on Maura's face. "Our first stop is dinner. We have reservations at Menton."

"Jane, that's a Michelin restaurant!" Maura exclaimed, "How did you manage to get reservations in such short notice?" She asked.

"I know some people." The brunette said shrugging, trying to read if that was a good or bad reaction from Maura. Not managing to read her, she asked. "Are you not happy? I thought you would like it."

Maura sighed before explaining her reaction not wanting Jane to think she was unhappy. "Of course I liked! I always wanted to go there." She assured Jane before adding, "I just know it's not your kind of restaurant. I hope you know you don't need to take me to those places to make me happy. I don't need them. I just need you, Jane." She ended, hoping to have made herself clear.

Jane pulled over at the valet of the restaurant, turning to look at the blonde. "I know you don't need this. But tonight is about treating you the way you deserve. Tonight is all about making you happy. And I like doing this with you." She said, hoping Maura would understand. "If you want, we can leave but let me do this for you tonight. I won't promise I'll want to come here all the time but tonight I want to do this for us, for you." She ended, waiting for Maura's reply.

"Just promise me that if you want to leave, you'll tell me." Maura said, getting a nod in return. Before opening her door, the doctor pulled Jane into a kiss, whispering against her lips. "Thank you for bringing me here. It's a lovely surprise and I can't wait taste their food." She said honestly, her feelings for the brunette deepening in intensity at her thoughtfulness.

Jane smiled at Maura's words, seeing the truth in them, glad she had made the right decision. She exit her car, handing the keys to the valet, jogging to lend Maura a hand while she left the car and they entered the restaurant hand in hand.

Dinner was everything they hopped, the food was delicious, the ambiance was classy, the service was great, overall the couple had a great time with conversation flowing as the night went on. Not long after they finished with their desert, they were on their way to their next destination.

Jane knowing she couldn't hide where they were going much longer, said looking at Maura's flushed face from the wine. "Are you ready to find out where we are going next?"

"Yes. Since dinner was a pleasantly surprise, I'm sure this will be too." Maura replied, happily.

"Well, here we are." Jane said, pulling up at the valet for Boston's theater.

"Jane! You got us tickets for a play?" Maura said excitedly, exiting the car.

Jane stopped Maura from walking and stood in front of her. "Actually, no." She said, smiling at the frown on her girlfriends face. "I got us ticket for La Traviata." She ended.

Maura gasped, a wide smile taking over her face and she hugged Jane excited. "Really? You got us tickets for an opera? Thank you Jane!" She said, kissing Jane fiercely, pulling away quickly wanting to take their seats.

"Wait, babe. Before we go in." Jane said stopping her one more time "Tickets were pretty pricey so I couldn't get the ones for the best seats." Jane said, looking down not wanting to look at Maura's disappointed face.

Maura's heart broke at the sight in front of her; she placed her fingers on Jane's chin lifting it up to look into her eyes. "Don't worry about that, Jay. I loved this surprise, not matter where we sit. I don't care about that, I just love that you got us tickets in the first place. I know it's not your thing. This night has been wonderful and it will continue to be no matter where we sit, okay?" She ended with a smile, pecking Jane's lips, feeling Jane respond before they moved to enter the theater.

A few hours later, the ladies lay together, cuddled in bed as they caught their breaths, sweat glistening on their naked bodies. "Did you enjoy our date, Maur?" Jane asked wanting to be sure Maura was pleased.

"Very much so, Jane. Thank you for tonight." She replied, kissing Jane's dimpled cheek. "It was the best date I was ever on. The dates you take me on just keep getting better and better." She said with a laugh, snuggling close to Jane's chest, feeling Jane laugh under her.

"I'm glad you had fun. I did too." Jane said.

"Don't lie, Jane Rizzoli!" Maura said, lifting her head to look at her. "I saw you sleeping during the third act."

"What?! No I didn't!" Jane exclaimed, but quickly changed her answer at the sight of Maura's arched eyebrow. "Okay, I did! But just for a little while! And I had fun; it's just not my kind of thing." She said, not wanting the blonde to think she didn't enjoyed their date.

"I'm just glad you didn't snore!" Maura joked, getting a laugh out of Jane before giving her a kiss. "I know it isn't your thing, Jane. And that just made me love our night even more. Thank you." She ended, catching Jane's lips in another kiss and they only parted when air became an issue.

They returned to their previously position, with Jane on her back with Maura lying on her chest. Both of them in silence just enjoying being together; a subject entered Maura's mind and she gathered courage to ask Jane about it.

"Jane?" She said.

"Hmm." Jane replied, running her hands through Maura's back.

"Every time I'm at Angela's, she says things that makes me believe she's not talking about you or Frankie. Do you have any siblings other than Frankie?" She asked, feeling Jane tense under her. "If you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I'm sorry I asked." She rushed out, not wanting Jane to be upset.

Jane sighed before replying. "It's okay, babe. You never have to be sorry for asking me anything." The brunette moved, wanting to be face to face when answering her question.

"It's not just us. We have another bother. Tommy." She said, looking into Maura's eyes. "Tommy hasn't made the right choices in life. Got into a lot of trouble and worried Ma a lot during a short period of time. Last time Frankie and I saw him, he was supposed to drive us to school but drank a lot before and we ended up on a car accident. Frankie broke his foot and I broke my arm while the cops arrested him with a DUI." Jane said, moving her thumb through Maura's cheeks trying to smooth her troubled expression.

"Ma never forgave herself for letting the cops arrest him and Tommy hasn't spoken to us since. He's still in prison though. He got three years." She ended.

Maura put her arms around Jane, caressing her back, rubbing it in soothing circles. "I'm sorry, Jane. I understand Angela missing him but sounds like he was old enough to make his own decisions." She said, before continuing "And I find myself feeling mad at him for hurting you."

Jane gave her a kiss "Ma blamed us for a while not wanting to see the reality but he has to face his consequences, right?" She said "And don't worry, my arm healed perfectly." She added with a smirk.

"I'm sure it did." Maura said, laughing. "Thanks for telling me." She added giving Jane a kiss, "I understand now how it's an awkward subject for your family."

"It's fine, babe." Jane said not wanting to dwell on sore subjects. "How about another round?" She asked, with a smirk moving to be on top of her girlfriend.

Her reply came in the form of legs locking around her waist and arms bringing her in for a deep kiss.

* * *

The next day was bittersweet one. After a loving morning together, filled with passion, making memories that would help while they were apart, the couple went to have lunch with Angela and Frankie.

Lunch was full of laughter as mother and bother filled Jane in everything she missed while she was away. The atmosphere light while they joked and their ability to fall into their roles comforted Maura. Both Angela and Frankie act like Jane hadn't missed the events which Maura knew it was one of Jane's fears. To miss too much.

It seemed like they blinked and soon it was time for Jane to go back. With her car packed, Angela and Frankie said their good-byes and left, leaving the two lovebirds alone. Maura moved to hug Jane, her arms around Jane's neck while longer ones went around her waist.

"I'll miss you, Jane." She said, pouting a little before giving her girlfriend a kiss.

Jane returned the kiss with all she had, memorizing every about the blonde. "I'll miss you too, Maur." She said, "I promise as soon as I can I'll be back." Jane ended burying her nose on Maura's neck and hair inhaling the unique scent of Maura, already looking forward to her next break.

"Maybe I'll come to you, next time." Maura said, smiling giving her one last kiss. "Drive safe and text me when you get there."

"I will." Jane replied, stealing one more kiss, before entering her car and with one last look at Maura's sad face, she drove away before she changed her mind.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! There's going to be some time jumps between the next chapters but I'll try to write it in a way easy to undertand. Thanks again!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N:Thank you again for all the alerts, reviews and favorites. I'm not really sure about this chapter but hope you all like it. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

As Jane's training continued their schedule remained tight; Maura and Jane managed to see each other on a few weekends but mostly their interactions came from video calls and texts.

The training camp came to an end and the preseason begun however Jane and Frost's situation in the sidelines remained the same; they could only hope that during the season games they would be able to show what they were capable of.

Their preseason games went well; however, there were a few things to work on as the Patriots team was victorious in only 2 of the 4 games. Luckily for them, their home game was one of those wins; Jane celebrated with Frost and the others rookies like there was no tomorrow but as she went home it she realized that while she had fun with her friends, what she wanted really was to celebrate with her sweet girlfriend. Jane felt a sense of clarity that no victory or accomplishment would feel the same without Maura on her side.

Sadly, Maura had to leave to attend a congress on the same day as that home game. The blonde had been incredibly sad when she realized both were on the same date and wanted to cancel her appearance however Jane wouldn't hear about it; she didn't want Maura to make sacrifices that were unnecessary.

Jane was proud of the blonde and wanted Maura to feel and get all the recognition she deserved; Jane never wanted to slow Maura down so she contented herself in receiving Maura's congratulating text right after the game ended.

 _Congratulations, Jay! Couldn't watch the game, it was in the middle of a presentation, but received an alert you were victorious! Very happy for you. Sorry I couldn't be there. I'll let you know when I get back to the hotel xx Maura._

Jane smiled to herself as she went to bed, not believing Maura had put on an alert to find out the result of the game. Thankfully, Maura would be back before she had to leave giving them a few days to celebrate this win.

* * *

Days later, Maura, Frankie and Angela drove from Boston to Foxborough to catch the first game at home of the season; the Patriots already had three others away. On the outside, Maura was the perfect picture of calm but on the inside, her nerves were winning. She was both nervous and excited: nervous for Jane, hoping the team would be successful since the previous losses upset the brunette; and excited for finally being able to see Jane in action in person for the first time. Maura knew the TV broadcast couldn't compare to that.

Maura felt the uncharacteristic buzz of excitement run through her veins. She mostly listened to what Angela was saying, but couldn't help her mind from tuning out to wonder how today would turn out. Looking at Frankie's uncoordinated nod, it was also clear he wasn't listening either. She wondered how Angela never noticed.

They decided to take Maura's Prius, so she pulled over at their hotel to drop Frankie and Angela off, before driving a short distance to meet up with Jane.; she would stay with Jane until tomorrow when they would all return to Boston.

Jane had made a copy of the key of her flat to Maura so she didn't hesitate to walk through the lobby, up the elevators and search for the right door. Maura entered the flat founding odd that the lights were off. She was sure Jane would have been back by now, the lights entering through the curtains provided her enough illumination to guide her around the place.

Maura couldn't stop the disappointment that ran through her body given the fact that Jane obviously wasn't there to greet her. _Jane could've at least send me a text saying what came up and wouldn't be able to be here._ Maura thought sadly wondering what had happened that prevented Jane from doing that.

After placing her Balenciaga bag on the table, she rolled her carry-on bag towards the bedroom to put her things away. As she crossed the threshold, Maura came upon a sight hat warmed her heart. Jane spread on top of the bed, arms open wide and feet hanging from the bed; dressed in jeans and button down.

 _Perhaps she laid down to wait but ended up falling sleep. Poor thing must be so tired._ Maura thought chastening herself for thinking Jane wasn't at the apartment.

Putting her things in the corner, Maura moved to the bed and approached Jane, entangling their legs together, cuddling into Jane's body and kissed the brunette's lips feeling Jane move towards her, whispering her name while wrapping her arms around her.

Suddenly Jane jerked up quickly putting distance between them, getting out of bed, blinking her eyes to wake up. "Wha? What the hell?" The brunette said, realizing someone was in her bed.

Maura smiled at Jane's reaction, torn between laughing at Jane's expression and feeling delighted that she put a distance between their bodies thinking it was someone else other than her.

"Maur?" Jane asked, feeling herself wake up totally.

"Surprise!" Maura said smiling at her girlfriend. "Well, not really a surprise since you knew I was coming." She said to herself thinking.

Jane smiled at her, jumping back on the bed almost landing on top of the blonde. "Jane! Careful!" Maura exclaimed laughing, thinking about both her well-being and Jane's.

The brunette laughed and caught Maura's lips in a passionate kiss, that they only ended when their lungs screamed from lack of air.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep, babe. Were you alone for a long time?" Jane asked, caressing Maura's arms.

"No, Jane. I arrived not too long ago and used my key to get in. While I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when I thought you weren't here but it all made sense when I found you asleep." Maura explained.

Jane knew her girlfriend must have thought she had forgotten and cursed herself for falling asleep. "I'm sorry, Maur." She said kissing her girlfriend lightly. "Are you tired from the drive? Do you want to get some rest?" Jane asked wanting to plan their day.

"No, Jane. I'm fine. The drive went smoothly." The blonde replied before adding "But didn't you say you needed to be at the stadium soon?"

"Well, I don't _need_ to be. But, we're going straight there soon. I'll explain when we get there, okay?" Jane answered.

Maura cut her eyes at her girlfriend knowing she was hiding something, but decided to let it be. "Hmm." She simply said, receiving a sly smile from Jane after.

The brunette realized Maura had sensed she was planning something but was happy the blonde didn't question her much. "How about we take a shower and leave?" Jane said, already pulling Maura out of bed.

* * *

"Here we are." Jane exclaimed as she parked the car at the Gillette Stadium.

Maura looked around the huge parking lot and the enormous stadium next to it. The immensity of it surprising the blonde. "It's gorgeous, Jane. The tv makes it look smaller." She said getting out of the car as Jane lead Maura hand in hand towards the employees and players entrance.

"Jane are you sure I can enter through here?" Maura asked noticing where they were headed.

"Don't worry, babe." Jane said, as she nodded towards some security and they walked right through. "I'll tell you a little secret, Maur." She added quietly after they were both in. "Since I've lived my whole life in Boston, I have a lot of childhood and school friends that have been working here way before I got drafted. So don't worry, okay? Tonight I just called in a lot of favors." Jane ended as they reached the end of the hallway and arrived at a private entrance that Jane didn't waste any time leading them over.

When they got to their destination, Jane stopped them by the door, turning to face her girlfriend.

"I know you're a little anxious about tonight so I decided that we should make some memories for you to hold on to when it seems too much later tonight." Jane said, opening the door and revealing to her girlfriend that they were at the company's skybox.

"Jane, are you sure us being here won't get you in trouble?" Maura asked, admiring everything about the room, ending up near the huge window that looked over the rest of the stadium and the field.

Jane walked up behind her girlfriend, wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, bringing even more into her body. "I'm sure, babe. Don't worry, I told you we're alone here for a few hours." Jane assured her girlfriend before adding, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, Jane." Maura replied admiring their view. "I can't imagine how it must look even more amazing filled up. The lights, the fans and the whole atmosphere of the game must transform this beautiful view into something out of this world. I can't even imagine." She ended, impressed with everything.

"Someday, you won't have to imagine. With your support and confidence in me, I have no doubt someday I'm going to be down the field showing everyone I'm here to stay while, at the same time, you're going to be up here, watching over me; showing everyone here we're more than an ordinary couple." Jane said, confidently looking into Maura's eyes.

Maura felt her throat tighten at the emotions Jane evoked on her. Looking into the eyes that always captured her attention, she realized once more that never in her life she had ever felt so wanted, desired and, dare she hope, _loved._

She backed them down to the nearest chair, incidentally being the one with the widest view, the one in the center of it all. She sat down on Jane's lap, her skirt straining as she straddled Jane's legs; her arms went around the brunette's neck as Jane's hand's settled themselves into their familiar place on Maura's hips.

One of Maura's hands caressed Jane's face, her thumb grazing lightly over lips she adored as she gathered courage to say what has been on her mind for quite some time. She delighted herself watching the reactions and expressions that went through Jane's face because of her actions. "Jane?" She whispered even thought they were alone.

Jane struggled to open her eyes that had closed with the sensations that ran through her body and she looked into green eyes she loved so much. "Yeah?" She replied in the same hush tone.

"I love you." Maura said simply, feeling a calm run through her as the words she was hiding for so long, flew out of her mouth.

Hearing those words out of the woman she could spend her whole life admiring, never growing tired of sharing her life with her, Jane felt a rush run through her like never before. Nothing could or would ever compare to hearing those words out of Maura. When the high of emotions started to leave Jane, she realized she had left Maura waiting too long and she knew Maura was analyzing her face wanting to see how she would react.

"I love you too, Maur. So much." She said, wanting to end the blonde's distress.

A wide smile took Maura's face over as she heard the exact words she had been waiting. The blonde quickly captured Jane's lips, feeling her passion be matched in intensity as their kiss grew; neither women wanted to halt their actions as they lost themselves in each other, making memories that would forever be one of their most precious ones. Something treasured by both of them.

* * *

When it was time for them to separate, Jane went to meet up with the team and go to the locker-room while Maura exit the stadium through the employee's door to meet up with Angela and Frankie outside for food and drinks before they entered the stadium.

Now, the three of them sat under the stars watching the game develop and contrary to what she believed, Maura has having quite some fun. She never understood what was the thrill of sports or of going to watch any kind of game live, however she found herself enjoying the atmosphere of the crowd, laughing and getting carried away along with all the fans, cheering for the team and Jane, even though she was on the bench. Maura had no doubt this fast change in feelings was due to her girlfriend; Jane had influenced her life for the better.

The night was warm as the Patriots had a lead over the visiting team; since according to Frankie one of the huge advantages of the home games was the crowd, Maura didn't even think twice about cheering as loudly as the others fans. She wanted to make Jane proud and make her part in helping the team win.

They were about to enter the fourth and last quarter, victory seeming unavoidable and for that Maura was glad; seeing Jane sad from a loss always hurts her heart. However, in a twist of fate, during the first offence play for the Patriots in that quarter, as their star quarterback scanned the field looking for an open target, he suddenly took a hit from behind, the sack propelling him forward as the fans stood up in hope to see what had happened.

Some fans booed while others stayed silence waiting for what would happen; Maura and Angela gasped, their hands going to their mouth, when the hit occurred while Frankie was on the lookout for movement from the quarterback.

On the field, the whole bench, players and coaches, stoop up as the referees approached the fallen quarterback. When the lead referee signaled to coach Cavanaugh the need for medics, Jane's heart started to thrum loudly in her ears. As the NFL and team medics worked on getting the injured player on the cart to take him back to the locker-room, Jane looked towards her head coach, watching him gather the assistants coaches for a discussion. Her heart continue to beep in a hurry in her chest as she heard her name be called up.

"Rizzoli! Get over here!" Coach Cavanaugh yelled, making her jump in place before quickly retrieving her helmet from its resting place.

"Yes, coach?" She asked when she got near him.

"You wanted a chance, right? Well, this is it. You just got it; get out there and show me what you can do." He said, waiting for her to start jogging to the field to choose their designed play.

Jane felt numb as she jogged into place, summoning all her strength to appear calm and prove herself. _This is it, Rizzoli. Time for you to step up and show everyone what you can do. Don't screw this up; make Maura proud._ She stood up taller at the thought of her girlfriend present at the stadium and taking a breath, huddled all the players together.

"Okay guys, I'm going to be on the field for the rest of the game while Michael gets medical treatment and assessment." She said looking at her teammates faces. Some were welcoming, others weren't; Jane took it all in stride continuing and relayed what the coach wanted. "And we are going to run this play…"

Meanwhile at the stands, when Maura, Frankie and Angela realized Jane had stood up from her seat and headed straight to her coach they all stood up in anticipation. Maura and Angela holding hands tightly, in a silent act of support.

"She's in!" Frankie yelled pointing down as Jane jogged onto the field. Frankie jumped in place as the three of them started to scream words of encouragement, the fact that Jane couldn't hear not mattering.

They attracted the attention of the others fans around them but neither paid any attention. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Jane would be playing.

Maura clapped loudly, feeling a sense happiness and proudness of her girlfriend; she was excited and grateful she was witnessing Jane's debut in person and not on tv, but at the same time, the blonde was nervous for Jane. She knew the brunette would feel pressure mostly from herself to do well. She just hoped it all ended as they hoped.

As the offensive line took its place, Jane looked straight at the defensive line, knowing all the players were watching her and most were probably unintimidated by her; the rookie quarterback, a woman just drafted. That last thought filled up the fire within her and with a deep breath, she confidently took her place behind the center and called up the play. "Red 33, Red 33. Hut, hut. Go!"

Jane let her instincts take over when she got the ball, quickly spotting her target and throwing the ball over, the pass hitting its target as the player ran a few more yards before getting tackled. Jane looked up and thanked the heavens for the good start as she jogged towards their new starting point.

The game continued as expected. Jane didn't give away any play, which was an unspoken worry on the bench as everyone got a feel of her playing ways. The brunette managed to hold the leading score, managing even to get them in Field Goal reach, and with the Patriots defense doing its job, they finished the game victorious and the team happily made its way towards the locker-room.

* * *

"Yo, Rizzoli! Good game!" Jane heard one of the cornerback yell as she was leaving the locker room. It seemed her performance pleased her fellow teammates and she already felt a shift in their attitude towards her.

"Thanks, man! You too!" She yelled back, not wasting any more time before heading towards the parking lot to meet up with Maura, Frankie and Angela. Thankfully most of the crowd had already left, making it easy for her to spot the taller of them, Frankie, her steps quickening, wanting nothing more than to share her happiness with them.

"Janie!" Angela yelled, after seeing her daughter walk straight towards them, the matriarch not containing herself and met the brunette halfway, wrapping her into a hug. "I'm so proud of you, honey." The emotional tone of her mother's voice hitting Jane right on the heart.

"Thanks, Ma." She replied, hoping Angela understood it was more just about tonight. From the painful squeeze she received, Jane knew her mother got it.

Looking over her mother's shoulder, Jane saw Frankie and Maura looking at their display and, with a final squeeze; Jane broke their hug, moving towards the two of them.

Jane hugged her younger brother, words not needed between the two of them and with a pat on each other's back, they separated and the brunette finally got to her girlfriend.

"Hi." She said quietly, looking at the green eyes, she loved.

"Hi." Maura replied in the same tone, as the rest of the world disappeared from their mind.

Feeling as she would explode from her emotions if she didn't act soon, Jane quickly leaned down, wrapped her arms around Maura's waist, lifting her up from the ground while laughing in happiness on the blonde's ear, hearing Maura giggle in hers.

"Congratulations, Jane." Maura said when Jane lowered her back on the ground. "I'm so proud of you. I knew your chance would come." she added, caressing Jane's cheeks. "You did great!" Maura ended happily with a passionate kiss, hoping to express all the amazing feelings this moment gave her.

They broke apart after Frankie cleared his throat and heard Angela slap him, whispering, "Don't bother them Frank Junior. Let them celebrate." Paying no mind to them, Jane and Maura continued in their own little world, lost in each other's eyes.

"Thank you, Maur." Jane said emotionally, "Thank you for all the support, for believing in me." She ended, bringing the blonde into her body, face nested into her neck, breathing in her sweet scent. "I love you." She whispered into Maura's ear.

"I love you too, Jane." Was her reply "And I couldn't be prouder." She said it again, knowing Jane needed to hear.

With one last but meaningful peck they broke apart, hands locking together, keeping them connected. "How about we celebrate?" Jane asked, after turning to face Angela and Frankie.

"Hell yeah!" Frankie said while Maura nodded her head.

"I'm going to let you three celebrate alone; just drop me off at the hotel." Angela said.

Jane frowned her brow "Are you sure, Ma? We're probably just going to a bar for some drinks."

"I'm sure, Janie. Enjoy this with your bother and girlfriend. No parent supervision tonight" Angela said sincerely with a laugh.

The four of them walked towards Maura's Prius when a voice stopped them. "Jane! Jane!" Frost yelled across the parking lot, jogging towards them. "Just wanted to say congratulations." He said offering his hand.

"Thanks Frost." Jane replied, shaking the offered hand of her newest friend. "Frost this is my mother Angela, my bother Frankie and girlfriend Maura." She added, introducing them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Barry Frost." He said, greeting Frankie and Angela, before turning to look at Maura. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Maura." He said, shaking her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you as well, Barry. Jane told me a lot about you." Maura replied, happy to finally meet him.

"I hope you only believe the good things. And don't worry; I've been keeping Jane out of trouble, always reminding her how lucky she is to have you as a girlfriend." He joked.

"Frost!" Jane punched his shoulder in response. Worried that Maura hadn't realized it was a joke, she quickly turned to her girlfriend. "He's just joking, Maur." Jane said, giving Maura a light kiss, "I'll never forget how lucky I am." She added softly, for their ears only.

Maura finally had a chance to react, given Jane's hasty actions. She gave the brunette a wide smile, "Don't worry, honey." She said, her thumb caressing Jane's cheek. "I believe you and I know it was a joke." She assured Jane, almost laughing at the desperate expression Jane had on her face.

"We're going to celebrate Jane's official start. Would you like to join us, Barry?" Maura asked.

Frost casted Jane a look questionably, feeling bad for the previous joke. The brunette noticing his unspoken question added, "We're going to that sports bar near the hotel. Just meet us there in a few."

He smiled his agreement and they parted ways until they met again at the bar.

* * *

The four of them enjoyed each other companies at the bar later that evening; jokes, laughter and stories filled the night as Maura and Frankie got to know Frost, making Jane relieved everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. For her, that cemented the thought that Frost would always be a close friend.

After one particular round of beer and wine for Maura, Frankie asked.

"Now that Jane was given a chance, do you think things will get better for you too, Frost?"

Frost thought about his reply before saying, "I don't know. No offence to Jane but they just traded the second QB, so they really had no choice in putting her in. Even if she sucked it would be her tonight." He said, before quickly adding, "Which you don't." At her nod of understanding, continued. "For me though, there's 4 others WR fighting for the spot. So, I really don't know."

Since Maura was still learning the way things happened in the background of the team, she looked at Jane and asked, "If Michael is still injured, you're still playing next game right? They wouldn't replace you over nothing, right?"

Jane sighed and answered, "I don't know, babe. They could feel as if I'm too young or need to wait some more for a chance to start a game, and decide to get a QB from another team or an agent." She ended, smiling sadly at the blonde. Maura smiled back, hoping to ease Jane's spirit.

"For the record, I don't think they'll do that, Jane." Frost added his two cents. "They will need to look for a QB for practice squad but coach will keep you in. He seemed to have liked what you did."

"Thanks, man. We'll see." Jane replied.

Maura sensed Jane wanted to move the subject of her and she said, "Barry, to up your chances why don't you work a few times alone with Jane? Perhaps you two could work on some plays and routes from the team, making you both at sync when you enter a game."

Frost looked hopefully at Jane not wanting to answer before she said it was okay. "I told you my girl was a genius." Jane said hugging Maura close, kissing her forehead. "It's a good idea, man. Maybe we can get together on the days we only have breakout sessions." She ended.

Frost smiled wide euphoric and said looking at Maura, "I could kiss you right now!"

"Hey!" Jane exclaimed making Maura laugh at her reaction while Frost lifted both his hands in the air. Jane turned to look at Frankie and simply said. "Frankie, do it." And he punched Frost in the shoulder, making everyone laugh.

"Should we order another round?" Frankie asked noticing everyone's drink had ended.

Jane looked down at the woman in her arms and upon noticing the look on her face and flushed cheeks from the wine, Jane couldn't resist her desire any longer, giving Maura a smirk, she answered "I don't think so, Frankie." Getting up and helping Maura out of the booth she added, "We're just gonna go back to the flat."

The man laughed as caught on to what Jane was saying and they said their good-byes, Frankie and Frost staying longer while Maura and Jane went back to finally celebrate alone, making it the perfect end of the night for both of them.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks again for reading. Let me know what you think! :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Thank you once again for the reviews, alerts and favorites. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story. I always try to put up my best work which is why I don't update faster. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, please let me know what you think. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

After the assessment from the doctors and MRI results, Michael's lesion was diagnosed as a muscle strain and bruise on the knee bone and with that, it was decide that he would need to stay out from about 3 weeks in order to heal properly.

Jane was told she would start on those games he would miss, signaling to her that her performance was good and making her work even more to prove she was worthy of this chance. Once the team discovered this timeline, many were doubtful she would be able to produce good results and put them as the firsts in their group among the other teams.

The brunette already expected this reaction from some of her teammates and didn't let that shake her. She used it to fuel herself in order to get their respect or at least respect from those she admired. The others didn't matter much.

The first two games she was the starter went smoothly; they managed to get two wins, with the team working as one. Jane felt more and more players trusted her as the time went by and her actions were resulting in success.

The young QB also felt the coaches were noticing her growth in experience and confidence, in and out of the field too. They were asking what her thoughts were, listening if she had anything to add to their observation of the opposite team, and taking in consideration the plays she said would work best against each team.

Since she knew her time as a starter had a marked date to end, Jane knew she couldn't waste this opportunity and in those 3 weeks she that took a center place in the team, her hard work, dedication and knowledge of the game as a whole shined through, establishing even more her place in the Patriots team.

When the day for the third and final game she would start arrived, Jane felt pleased and happy with everything that happened before and her journey towards this day. Even if it took a while until she had the chance to start again, she felt she showed everyone she was here to stay and had the talent and will power to have a long career as a quarterback in the NFL.

As the team prepared and focused for that game that would be against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Maura made her way through the streets of Pittsburgh towards Heinz Field by taxi. She was glad when she saw the team's schedule and noticed she had a conference at Carnegie Mellon University that would end one day prior to the Patriots game against the Pittsburgh's team.

She couldn't even bring herself to feel sad about attending the game alone. Just the thought of being able to be at the stadium for another one of Jane's game made her proud and happy. If it were up to her, Maura would've attend every one of Patriots' game to support Jane however she knew sometimes it wasn't possible. That's why she took advantage and enjoyed every opportunity she had to do so.

Since it was a stadium and a different city from her own, Maura decided it was best to stay out of the huge crowd in case any emergency happened and bought her ticket to a more restricted area, even if she had to sacrifice a little of her view of the field.

Not knowing how the atmosphere would be, given the fact it was the opposing team's stadium; the blonde decided not to risk it and didn't wear any of the Patriots accessories that had become part of her whenever there was a game. Upon taking her seat and noticing the sea of Steelers fans wearing their own accessories and just a few Patriots fans, not one of them overly dressed, she was pleased with her decision. One can never know how violent the fans will become towards the opposing team fan.

The doctor relaxed in her seat and replied to some emails while waiting for the game begin; straightening up in her seat when noticed the movement of personal and referees on the field, a clear sign the game would start soon.

As Jane took the field, the brunette looked around always feeling a little intimated by the sea of opposing fans filling the seats. She knew it was something she had to work on and not let herself get carried away by the pressure from the other side. She had to practice on how to silence the crowd in her head.

The teams took the field and the game started. Jane was confident on how the game and plays were progressing; the defense managed to stop some of the Steelers key plays but you could never let your guard down around Roethlisberger. He always had a hidden play in mind and with just one pass, he could change the flow of the game by making the Patriots defense feel lost and unsure.

For their part, the attack was managing to hold the offensive line, giving Jane time to find her targets and giving the WRs and TEs time to find an open spot or time to lose their opponent; resulting in getting their key plays right. Not even Michael's envious look coming from the sideline towards her was making Jane lose her confidence and optimism about the final score of the game.

The first half of the game went by without any incidents and the players walked towards their locker room wanting some rest and advice on how to improve their performances and on what aspect they were lacking in this game.

Coming back to the third quarter the team managed to keep up the good results and plays, the winning energy pumping up the athletes even more towards the last half of the third quarter.

However, in a bad communication play by the Patriots, one of the offensive line players left his place to help the player next to him defend the advance from the defensive players leaving a whole by Jane's right side. In the heat of the game, no one from the Patriots team noticed this but it wasn't missed by the opposite defense as one of their fastest players quickly took opportunity of the opening, moving forward in order to sack the brunette.

Jane's eyes remained on her targets hoping to find an open one, not realizing what was coming towards her. One of her guards noticed the movement of their enemy and tried to stop him midway, forcing him to slide sideways to avoid the tackle and used that momentum to low hit the brunette.

The young quarterback held on tightly onto the ball as she was blindsided by the feel of a collision on her legs and her body twisting strangely, making her end up on the floor. The mixed sound of the crowd's reaction and referees quickly signing the play dead entering the player's ears.

Jane fought against the pain from the hit and sat up; stretching her legs and feet hoping the pain was simply from the tackle and not something worse.

Watching from a far, the young doctor that had stood up in a daze when the hit had happened felt her heart thunder in her chest at the thought of Jane being injured. She watched as her the brunette twisted awkwardly, knowing her legs must have taken a severe blow to cause that. And since it was clear Jane hadn't seen it coming, making her unprepared to take the hit, her muscles must have sustained the tackled in their most unprepared way, making this situation even worse.

Maura remained up as Jane started to stretch on field and the blonde knew her girlfriend would at least end up with a cramped muscle from the hit, if not a more severe consequence. Even as Jane stood up to continue playing, Maura couldn't relax. She knew Jane would push herself even in pain and she constantly look from clues and examined the function and harmony of Jane's muscles looking for any sign of injury. Her heart sinking even more at the slight limp Jane was clearly trying to disguise. From the way the crowd relaxed around her, they were fooled but Maura's mind would never have missed the limp.

Jane took the few steps towards the yard marked by the referee as their new starting point feeling an uncomfortable pain, preventing her from fully putting her weight on her right leg. Never in her life she was glad that the 2 minute warning was approaching in order to sit down for a moment.

She tried to adjust her passes in order to not to put pressure or rely so much on that leg, afraid it would gave out if she did. She knew she wasn't too successful from the misses targets and bad passes, making Cavanaugh switch from passes play to running plays.

When the 2 minute warning arrived, Jane walked slowly behind her fellow players not putting much pressure in her pained leg. As she took a seat, she exhaled hoping the brief rest and a massage would help to remove her pain.

"How's that leg, Rizzoli?" Jane heard from her side, looking up to see her head coach and assistants.

"I don't know, coach. I think it's just from the fall. It just needs to rest for a minute then it will be better." Jane replied with a straight face, hoping they would believe her and she would continue in the game.

The few seconds of silence as Cavanaugh looked straight at her felt like years to Jane, waiting to see what he would say.

"I don't think so, Rizzoli. You're out." He said as Jane felt her face fall as her heart was crushed.

Jane stood up quickly forgetting all about her leg, wincing as she objected. "I can do it, coach! It'll be fine." From the look on his face, Jane knew she would never win this argument.

Cavanaugh admired Jane's dedication but remained firm, "It's decided, Jane. Michael is practically healthy and I won't have you injuring yourself more." He said, hoping she would understand, before turning to speak to his assistances. "Get the doctor to work on her. And get Michael ready on the plays we discussed." They all carried on to do their things and left Jane alone waiting for the team's medic staff; the brunette never feeling more dejected than ever.

Maura's worry only increased when she saw the huddle of coaches around Jane and the broken posture of her love when it ended. The continuation of the game not mattering as the blonde watched as Jane finally received medical attention on the sidelines. Her nerves were getting the best of her and she willed herself to calm down. The fact that she couldn't ask anyone what the diagnosis was or personally exam her girlfriend bothering her more than she thought possible.

By the time the fourth and final quarter started, Jane hadn't returned from the locker room to the field with the rest of the team and Maura's emotions had already passed from worried to nervous to upset and settled at downright angry.

Angry at the fact that Jane hadn't bothered to reply to any of her thousands of texts asking where she was and how she was doing. Angry at the lack of information. Angry at not knowing what was wrong, anger that only got bigger with the nervous thoughts that perhaps her girlfriend was seriously hurt and she wouldn't even know until they arrived back home.

Since Maura knew she wouldn't get her answers and didn't even know if Jane was still at the stadium, Maura decided to stop pretending to watch the rest of the game and got her things and left to go back to her hotel, hoping Jane would at least remember that they had agreed to meet up there after the game. Perhaps, Jane was already there waiting for her.

Or maybe not, as Maura discovered when she arrived at her hotel room. All of her mood that had improved with the thought that Jane would already be there, left her body, causing her angry state to return as her current mood. The blonde decided to carry on with her nightly routine and get herself ready for bed. She wasn't going to stay up waiting to see if Jane would get there or not. Maybe it was best to talk when she wasn't so angry, calm down before talking.

After some time tossing and turning in the bed, Maura laid in silence with her back towards the door when she heard the key card signal and the turning of the handle.

"Maur?" The blonde heard be whispered into the darkness of the room.

Jane sighed in disappointment as she hopped around the room, trying to get into bed without turning the lights on.

In order not to wake Maura up, Jane decided to sleep only in her underwear and t-shirt, and after struggling to take her pants off while sitting down, she slowly moved the covers to settle in. The brunette lay tensely in bed, not managing to relax knowing she had messed up and that Maura probably was upset with her. Jane sighed turning to look at Maura's back that was facing her. Jane's mind and body burned with desire to cuddle up to the blonde but lacking the courage to do so.

Jane looked longingly at Maura for a few minutes before deciding to take the bullet and she moved painfully slow not wanting to wake Maura up. When Maura didn't move as their bodies touched, Jane brought her arm to wrap around the blonde's waist, delighting herself in the feelings that ran through her body whenever their skin touched.

Maura fought against her body's response to tense up when Jane spooned her and continued to pretend she was asleep, not wanting to fight with Jane while she was angry. For her part, Jane buried her nose into Maura's hair and neck, inhaling the sweet scent of Maura that always settled her; still feeling upset with herself Jane whispered apologetic into the blonde's ear, "I'm sorry."

This time Maura couldn't control herself as her body tensed in disbelief and she quickly shrugged Jane's arm off, standing up.

"You're sorry?" Maura said incredulously, her voice deadly calm, looking down at Jane with her hands on her hips.

At Maura's tone, Jane quickly sat up "Maur, I'm so sorry I'm late and that you had to go to bed without any news." She said, trying to get Maura to believe her.

When Jane's reply first reached her ears, Maura's emotions flared up and she didn't even hear the rest of it. "You think I'm angry because you're late?" She hissed towards Jane taking a step back.

She didn't even allowed Jane to reply and continued "I'm angry that you got hurt and I'm angry because I called you constantly and sent you texts and you didn't even bothered to send me one back. I'm angry because I had no way of knowing what had happened or if you were seriously hurt in the hospital somewhere." The blonde said, letting out her feelings.

Jane felt blindsided by everything Maura was saying. "Well, I'm sorry Maura but I'm going to get hit and sometimes I'm going to get hurt. It's one of the bad parts of the job."

"I know that. I've accepted the fact that your job can be violent. This isn't about you choosing between me and the team." Maura said, mad Jane still thought it was about that. "I'm angry because you had no regard for me and kept me in the dark. I had no idea what had happened or how hurt you were." She said, angrily. "Can you imagine how is to spend all this time wondering and thinking about all the different scenarios? And not a single one of them happy?" Maura added, a few tears escaping down her cheeks at those thoughts. Not wanting sympathy from Jane she was quick to dry them.

Jane felt a mix of feelings hearing to what Maura was saying, shame, guilty and heartbreak. She couldn't fault Maura for her feelings, for Jane knew she would feel the same it the situation were reversed.

Jane quickly stood up, going to stand in front of Maura and brought her hands to the blonde's arms, happy that Maura didn't reject her. She ran her hands up and down through Maura's arms, looking into green eyes she loved.

"You'll never know how sorry I am, babe. I'm so very sorry. I promise I didn't want to make you feel this way." She said passionately, taking a deep breath before adding. "I just kept thinking I was done. I was worried this would be it for me. I was in a daze from the moment they told me we were leaving the game to when they asked me where I wanted them to drop me off. I promise I never meant to hurt you. I love you, Maur." Jane ended, showing her vulnerability, hoping Maura would understand.

Maura for her part felt herself soften when she heard Jane's tone and with pleading eyes looking deep into hers. "I understand, Jane. I do, truly. But I just can't be left in the dark every time you get hurt. My mind and heart won't take it." She said, sitting down and bringing Jane with her.

"I know. I'm sorry." She said taking a breath, thinking of what they could do. "Why don't we come up with some sort of signal for when I get hurt?" Jane asked and added "That way we won't have to wait until I get to my phone. Something I can do while still on the field."

"That sounds wonderful, honey." Maura replied caressing Jane's cheeks. "But I also want you to promise me something."

"Anything, Maura." Jane said eagerly, wanting nothing more than to reassure her girlfriend.

"I know you're hard driven and want always to contribute your best to the team, always pushing yourself to the maximum. I get that; I'm the same, you know that. But what I want you to promise me is to always be sincere with the extent of your injuries. If it's something minor that you can still play without severing it, okay; but if it's already something severe, I want you to put your pride aside, think of our future together and know your limits in order to not truly in danger yourself permanently." Maura said seriously, wanting Jane to understand her.

Jane lowered her gaze knowing everything Maura said was true and knowing she couldn't think only about herself anymore. She wanted that future together with Maura, a happy and healthy future. It was clear she needed to change herself in that aspect. "Okay, Maur. I promise." The brunette said, truthful knowing Maura would believe her. "But I want you to trust me to make that decision. Trust me when I tell you I'm okay or when I can still take it." Jane ended.

Maura exhaled the breath she was holding and nodded her agreement. They brought their lips together, not deepening the kiss but only a light caress of lips; they broke apart, smiling to each other, both ladies feeling like they had managed to settled down their feelings and made the other one understand their point of view.

"How about something with my helmet?" Jane said after some time in silence.

Maura thought for a moment before asking. "Are you allowed to take your helmet off while still on the field? Perhaps, you could tap the upper part of it.

Jane nodded saying, "That would work. How about I tap on top of it once if I'm fine, twice if I'm hurt but nothing too bad and three times if it's bad and I'm going to ask to leave?"

"That works for me." Maura smiled wide and brought their lips together once more. Feeling Jane deepen it and how they were both getting lost in their feelings, Maura put her hands on Jane's chest pushing her a little. "Wait, wait Jane."

Jane cleared the fog in her mind, looking at Maura's expression "What's wrong, babe?" She asked with her breath ragged and heavy.

Maura put some space between them in order to think clearly. "I want you to listen to me, Jane." Jane sobered up at her girlfriend's tone knowing she was serious and nodded that she was listening.

Maura grabbed Jane's chin, making their eyes meet and when she was sure Jane was focused and that she had Jane's undivided attention, she said "I can handle the distance, I can handle the long travels, the time alone and can handle the fame that will come. But, I can _not_ handle be the second choice. Do no shut me out."

Jane knew Maura was speaking from her past relationships and cursed herself for treating Maura like she was treated in the past. Something Jane had sworn she wouldn't do, that she would be better than them. Feeling another stab in the heart from her misguided actions tonight. "I know, Maur. I'm sorry. I'll do better. I promise. I love you so much." She vowed to Maura and herself.

"I love you too." Maura said softly and nodded teary, believing in Jane and let Jane catch her lips, expressing how true her words were. They got lost in each other, hands exploring the familiar bodies and when Maura felt the cold hit her chest, realizing she had lost her camisole, she stopped Jane again.

"No, Maur." Jane whined her disbelief, knowing her girlfriend had to be punishing her by stopping once more.

Maura pecked Jane's lips, smiling at her pout, before saying. "As much as I was enjoying this, Jane. You're still hurt. What did the doctor say?" She asked, as they moved to lay facing each other.

Jane told her everything that happened from the moment the coaches started to talk to her. Told her that even though it was already her last game, she felt sad for not finishing it, shared her despair and dark thoughts on the way to the hospital. And about how she allowed a few tears escape when she was alone during the MRI exam and how she ached for Maura's presence the whole way. Maura wrapped her love in a tight hug, whispering words of love when she felt Jane's body shake and a few tears wet her bra.

Maura let Jane take what she needed and only pulled back when she felt Jane take calming breaths and lift up her head. "Thank you, Maur. I love you so much." Jane said, pecking Maura's lips and smiling at her.

"I love you too, Jane. And I'm always here." She replied.

"I know." Jane whispered, caressing her face, tucking a fallen lock behind the blonde's ear.

Knowing Jane was probably done with emotional talks, Maura asked, "So, you didn't tell me what the MRI result was?"

Smiling grateful at Maura's ability to read her, Jane replied, "It's an ankle sprain. I'll have to take it easy during practice and probably work with a physiotherapist, and I'll have to take it easy for 2 weeks if I want to get back to how I was."

"Sounds about right. Two weeks is how long the ankle needs in order to heal itself." Maura said, agreeing, "I'm happy it's not something worse." She added pleased, before getting up.

"Where are you going, Maur? Get back to bed. I'm fine." Jane exclaimed her unhappiness that Maura had gotten up, tapping the mattress to prove her point.

"As much as I want to have intercourse, you're still injured and need to rest." Maura said making Jane cringe and whine at the word _intercourse_. "One of the things they didn't tell you is that the muscles need to be elevated and iced to help them heal." Maura added, grabbing some ice from the mini bar and pillows from the sofa.

Jane smiled at her girlfriend's cuteness as Maura walked around only in her bra and panties grabbing everything she needed. She still didn't know how Maura could be so sexy and adorable at the same time while talking medicine to her.

The brunette obeyed when the blonde gestured for her to place her foot up the pillows and placed the ice in the painful area. Jane enjoyed the feelings running through her and let Maura take care of her, knowing it would calm and make the doctor happy. When Maura finally looked up at her clearly pleased with herself, Jane simply patted the mattress again and smile at Maura.

The blonde laughed at her almost childlike girlfriend and returned to bed cuddling up to Jane's side, releasing a calming breath when Jane kissed her forehead, and placed her head on Jane's chest while the brunette held her tightly.

They simply enjoyed each other, talking softly about everything and nothing, trading kisses every now and then, with goose bumps appearing on their skin as a result of their hands caressing each other constantly. Both ladies were happy they had managed to clear the air and work through their problems and fears, feeling that their relationship was stronger than ever by the end of their night. Their love shining through in the end as they both fell asleep wrapped up in each other.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you all continue with me towards the next chapter. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Thank you once again for the reviews, alerts and favorites. I know it's been a long time since the last update but I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait. It's a little longer than usual but I hope you all enjoy it, please let me know what you think. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Three games; that's how long it has passed until now. Three games that the older quarterback has started and Jane sat by the sideline, healthy as ever and watched the egotistical and arrogant moves her fellow teammate did. Sometimes clearly ignoring the instructions from the coaches.

Three games that Jane saw how the team struggled to win, two games ending in a close call win for the Patriots while they had one loss, the defense clearly working its best to compensate the offense difficulty. No one could understand why he was jeopardizing their season and Jane noticed that most players were doubtful of his actions. Jane couldn't understand why coach Cavanaugh was letting him do this.

The present moment was thanksgiving week and since the Patriots were playing against the Jets on Thanksgiving Day in New York, Jane and Maura, decided to spend it together in the city that never sleeps.

Given that Jane had to stay with the team, Maura decided to arrive in NY on Tuesday evening to get some shopping done and they would meet up after the game and stay in NY until the other week, since it was the team's bye week. Both ladies were excited for this mini vacation together, their first trip together.

The hardest person to convince was Angela, Jane losing patience with her mother's dramatic reaction while Maura took her time explaining their plan was good since that way they could spend Christmas in Boston with everyone. After that Angela finally relented, demanding calls to know both her daughters were okay.

Maura walked through the hotel's lobby after checking in, waiting until she was inside the suite they would be staying to send Jane a text, letting her know she had arrived safely in NY and at the hotel, sending her the room number in case she needed it before they got together. Jane replied almost instantly expressing her love and how much she missed her.

Since she arrived later than she was hoping, Maura decided to simply relax and unwind that first night, leaving her shopping trip for the next day when she was in her best. She didn't want to deal with making reservations, possibly wanting in line and having to wait for the cabs in NY's cold. And so after taking a shower, she went down to the hotel's restaurant to have a calm dinner.

* * *

The next day the sweet doctor walked calmly but with purpose along her favorite stores in Manhattan. Since she wanted to walk freely, most of her shopping bags were already on their way to her hotel, leaving her to carry the small precious items she didn't trust anyone with. She decided to take advantage of her time alone and the diversity of the stores around her to start her Christmas shopping's, not wanting to leave it all to December.

With the satisfying feeling of having done what she wanted and had planned for that morning Maura called for her driver to take her to her favorite restaurant without any stops, not wanting to lose the reservation she had made as soon as they planned this get away.

She thanked the maître as she took her seat, not even blinking an eye to the pity looks she was receiving for eating alone. There was a time when they bothered her but now Maura knew that just because she was alone, she wasn't lonely. What a difference few months make.

She didn't wait long before a waiter brought her a menu and after accepting it with thank you, she stopped him from leaving saying "Could you please clear the table on the other side? I'll be eating alone."

Before he could answer her, they were interrupted by an older voice. "No, she won't. Please leave everything as it is."

Maura and the waiter turned towards the voice, the first one surprised at the appearance and the second one awkward of being in the middle of this situation. "Ma'am?" He asked Maura waiting to know what to do.

"It's fine. Could you bring another menu, please?" Maura replied, still unsure how to act. As soon as he left, she got up to greet her company "Hello, Mother. What a surprise! I didn't know you were in town." She said kissing her mother's cheek, trying to give her a hug but the tensing of the older Isles, cut her heart in two and quickly hiding her tears, Maura stepped away.

"Hello, dear." Constance said taking her seat and accepting the menu and dismissing the waiter. "I've been in NYC for two weeks now. I'm doing a show in January and I had to come deal with a few problems" She said calmly before continuing "and imagine my surprise when they called me yesterday to confirm my reservation. I admit I was confused for a moment before realizing they had confused us." She paused so they could order their choices.

Listening to her mother talk Maura felt disappointed that she didn't even took a few hours to go to Boston in all this time in NY and that mostly likely Constance wouldn't even let her know of this show in January.

"You're looking well and almost glowing, dear. Tell me what's new in your life to make this way?" The older woman asked oblivious of her daughter's feelings.

Maura debated herself wondering if she should share her relationship with her mother. Not because it was with Jane, a woman; but because she didn't want Constance to diminish it. However, as it always happened when she thought of Jane and their relationship, a smile appeared on her face and warm feelings ran through her body and she knew she could never and _didn't want to_ hide what she and Jane had.

"I'm in love, mother." She said simply.

Constance eyebrows went up in surprise, never hearing Maura say that about any of her relationships however, she quickly controlled her expression to say: "Truly? I don't think I ever heard you say that."

"Yes, really Mother." Maura replied briskly not liking the way her Mother doubted their relationship. "I've never felt this way before. It's been an amazing relationship and we've been really happy together." She added, feeling the need to correct her mother's tone.

Constance noticed her daughter's sharp tone, once again surprising herself since Maura had never spoken to her like that. "Then I'm happy for you, dear. How long you've been together? And what does he do?" She asked calmly, hoping to diffuse the situation not wanting a scene in the middle of the restaurant.

"We've been together for almost 6 months. And _she_ is an athlete. Her name is Jane." Maura replied, allowing the waiters to clear her empty plate.

Constance smiled tightly at the restaurant staff, waiting for them to leave before saying: "That's not very long, dear." What she really meant to say and it was implied _It will probably end soon._ "And what sport does she play? Is she a famous winner?" She added.

"She plays American Football for the team representing New England state." Maura said proudly. "She's just started but she'll go far. Are you familiar with that sport, mother?"

"I see, no Olympic medals in her path then." Constance replied unimpressed. "I've heard about it but I'm not familiar with it."

"I wasn't either when I met Jane. But I've discovered it's a marvelous game. Filled with strategy and synchronized, planned moves." Maura gushed excited, wanting her mother to feel that way too. "It has its roots in military strategy and it can be quite exciting to watch." She ended, waiting for Constance reply.

"I'm sure it's quite fun, dear." The older Isles said distractedly, looking around and asking for the check without even asking Maura if she wanted dessert.

Her mother's uncaring and unimpressed expressions filled her with sadness, berating herself silently for believing perhaps this time would be different. "She's playing in NY this Thursday, which is why we're in town. We're spending Thanksgiving here before going back to Boston." Maura said, wanting some more time with her mother.

"That's nice, dear." Constance replied signing the bill. "We should get together to have dinner; I would love to meet her." She added, getting up.

"I'll talk to her tonight and call you right after, mother. I'm sure we can have dinner while you're here." Maura said excitedly, getting up to say good-bye to her mother.

"Perfect, dear. Call me later." Constance said, leaving quickly after kissing her daughter's cheek while Maura simply watched her mother's hasty exit.

* * *

Jane and Frost settled into their hotel room in NY after the travel and team meeting to go over their schedule for tomorrow, the actual game day. Since they both wanted to rest, they were happy for having the rest of the day to relax.

Jane fished inside her backpack for her cellphone; thrown inside in a haste to get ready for the meeting and noticed she had one missed call from Maura and a text that said: _Call me when you can please. Love, M._ Jane walked to the balcony, closed the glass door behind her and called her girlfriend.

"Hey, Maur." She said when they connected.

"Hi, Jane. How was the ride?" Maura asked, putting the book she was reading aside.

"It was good. Sorry I'm only calling now, my phone was deep in my backpack and we just settle in after the team's meeting." Jane replied, watching the city around her.

"It's fine, honey. I wanted to talk to you about something." Maura said, taking a breath.

"Is everything alright?" Jane asked worried something had happened, noticing her girlfriend's emotional voice.

"Yes, don't worry. I'm okay." Maura replied knowing Jane probably thought she had gotten physically hurt. "I had a surprised visit during my lunch today." Maura started, not quite knowing how to start.

"Who, Maur?" Jane asked softly, realizing the blonde was having emotional time.

The young doctor let out a sigh, gathering courage to tell Jane what had happened. "My mother, Jane. The restaurant called her by mistake to confirm my reservation and she showed up there." Maura started and couldn't stop after allowing herself to feel the emotions that she had repressed since Constance's appearance. "She didn't even have the courtesy to tell me she was in the US, Jane! And she's been here for a long time! And that's not even the worst: she had the audacity to imply our relationship won't last long."

Jane listened while Maura let out all her frustrations, her dislike over Maura's parents growing even more with every second of Maura's clear feelings of hurt. The brunette couldn't understand why someone would treat Maura with such disregard.

"You know she's wrong, right babe?" Jane said when silence filled the air between them. "I know in my heart we'll have a great future together. If there's one thing I'm certain of is that you're the only one for me. We belong together." She added not wanting Maura to have any doubts about them.

"I love you so much, Jane." Maura replied feeling her heart grow with Jane's words. "And I feel the same."

Jane smiled knowing she had reassured her girlfriend. "And please don't let your mother's attitudes get to you. I'm sorry she acts like that but it's her loss for not getting to really know her beautiful and amazing daughter."

"I just can't help to always be disappointed. I don't know why but I always hope it will be different." Maura said.

"It's because you care." Jane told her. "And did she said anything else about us?" Jane asked wanting to get Maura's mind out of that depressed path.

"No. She's very open minded and didn't mind you're a woman." Maura replied knowing what Jane was doing and what she truly wanted to ask. "And she said she wanted to meet you. I told her I would have to talk to you first to see your schedule."

"Maur, you know as soon as the game ends I'm all yours." Jane said. "If you want us to meet, just tell me when and I'll be there."

"Thank you, honey. I'll text her saying we're available for tomorrow night, then." Maura said happily. "That way we don't risk a date that she already has something else planned. I'll call her now and call you right back. Love you." Maura added fast and hung up the phone.

Jane chuckled at Maura's adorableness and hoped something happened to bring Maura and her mother together. No matter how the blonde liked to disguise, Jane knew how much she hurt by being distance with her parents.

Maura hung up the phone excitedly, glad Jane hadn't complained about the urgency her mother scheduled demanded of them. She quickly dialed her mother's number wanting to set up the date. She waited a few rings before Constance picked up. "Hello, darling. How are you?" She asked as if they hadn't had lunch together today.

"Hello, mother. Sorry to be troubling you but I just talked to Jane about our dinner together." Maura said.

"Oh yes! And what did she say?" Constance asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"She has her game tomorrow which I'll also be attending and we could have dinner tomorrow after that. What do you think?" Maura replied, excitement in her voice.

"Oh honey, I'm sorry. Something came up and I'll have to leave New York tomorrow morning. We'll have to see each other some other time." Constance said without any emotion in her tone.

"I see." Maura said heart hardened, feeling disappointed once again, not believing she let herself get carried away again. She should have known it would be the same as every other time.

"Some other time then." She ended.

"It's a date, honey." Constance replied absentminded, "I have to go, Maura. We'll talk soon. Bye-bye." And with that she ended the call.

Maura stood frozen looking at the phone in her hand, as history repeated itself. The feelings of neglect and abandonment familiar to her in those situations returning once again, tears running down her face as she couldn't contain that expression of her feelings. She sat down in the corner of the bed, lifting her hands to her face as she sobbed loudly into the empty hotel room.

She didn't know how long it passed as Maura finally calmed down, feeling completely drained and empty, as if the tears completely dehydrated her. She felt sad and mad at herself but without any other tears left to shed. A feeling of immense shame filled her for a moment as she realized she had to call Jane to let her know they wouldn't be having dinner together.

It wasn't shame for her mother's acts but shame for her own acts. Shame that she allowed herself to hope and believe everything would be different this time. That perhaps her mother had actually wanted to make an effort and be a part of her life and meet the people who mattered but mostly the one person who was making her daughter happy in such a short period of time.

The blonde didn't have the courage to call Jane, knowing she would at the same time be supportive and sweet; something Maura didn't want at the time. She wanted someone to yell and tell her not to be a fool again. Jane would get mad at her mother but not at Maura. Never at Maura. And she reasoned with herself that she didn't want to trouble Jane anymore in a moment that she had to focus on the game and on the team.

So she decided to delay her talk with Jane and simply send her a text. Picking up her phone again she did just that.

Jane for her part was finishing her dinner with Frost, on contrary to the other players they had decided to order something to their hotel room not wanting to leave and stayed talking about everything that was happening with the team and how they felt the game would progress.

They were clearing everything they used when the brunette heard her phone chiming, indicating the arrival of a new text message. Knowing it was probably Maura wanting to begin their nightly talk, she was quick to pick it up. Her brow frowning when viewing its contents.

 _Hey Jay, there was a slight change of plans. We won't be having dinner with mother. Seems like something came up and she will be leaving NY tomorrow at the earliest._

Jane couldn't believe the audacity of Maura's mother, she shows up without any warning to give Maura hope of spending some time with her, only to a second later leave without caring about their plans or Maura's feelings. The brunette knew Maura was probably upset about this and why she didn't call, only sent a text; the thought of Maura crying alone fueled her anger even more and she decided to do something about it. Turning to face Frost she said:

"Frost, you said you had a cousin working in one of the hotels here, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" Frost replied confused about this turn in their conversation.

"I need two favors from you tonight. First do you think he can find out where someone is staying?" Jane asked, trusting their partnership and knowing he would come through to her.

* * *

Jane looked at the paper in her hand and compared the room number written in it to the one in front of her. Taking a deep breath and straightening her body, she knocked twice and waited for someone to open it.

As the door reveled the person inside Jane took in the poised and classy woman that was in front of her. The brunette could see the older Isles was someone who was accustomed to finer things and getting what she wanted.

"Can I help you?" The question broke her out of her mind, the unpleasant tone clear in the question.

"Yes, you can. If I'm not mistaken, you're Mrs. Isles right?" Jane asked confidently, not letting the older woman's attitude stop her as her own anger and determination took control of her.

"It seems as if you know who I am but I don't know who you are." Constance said before continuing, "You're interrupting my night and I've quite a few things to wrap up so please tell me what can I do for you?" The older Isles ended not happy about being interrupted.

"But that's where you're wrong. You do know me. I'm Maura's girlfriend." Jane said pushing through, forcing Constance to move back inside the room. The brunette closed the door and added offering her hand. "Jane Rizzoli."

Constance was shocked and arched an eyebrow at Jane's forcefulness, being surprised by the brunette's actions. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rizzoli." She said, shaking the offered hand and covering her feelings. "Now that we've been introduced, tell me what can I do for you? Does my daughter know you're here with me?"

"No she doesn't know. And I'm here to ask you how can you act so carelessly and without any regard for Maura? Do you know how much you hurt her every time?" Jane said not beating around the bush.

"What are you talking about? I explained to Maura about the dinner. I need to leave sooner than I hoped and she understands. And watch your tone with me." Constance said calmly, not believing the way Jane was talking to her.

Jane ignored her protest and said "Understand? Maura doesn't understand and she shouldn't have too. She's a genius and knows you have obligations but on the emotional side? She doesn't understand and neither do I. I can't understand how easily you dismiss her, how you don't see what a remarkable woman she is and I can't understand how you can give her hope and make her excited about spending some time you, sharing her life with you and a second later throw that up in her face!" Jane ended angrily and waited for the older woman's reply.

Constance watched at the passionate way Jane talked about her daughter and how she ended clearly agitated by her thoughts. But at the same time, Constance wondered if Maura truly felt that way Jane was saying. "I love Maura and I'm proud of her. She knows that."

Jane chuckled darkly wondering in what land Constance lived and if she even had a clue about who Maura was. "No. Maura is the one who loves you. That love is what makes her happy and hopeful every time you're near her, in hope you'll be able to spend time with her, only to get crushed in the end. And all she knows is that you cancel every plan you two make together and how she's always second in priority." Jane ended calmly, exhaling her anger and hoping the older Isles listened to her.

The matriarch heard the sincerity in Jane's words and felt her heart break at the thought of how much she hurt her daughter. Suddenly feeling exhausted she turned to sit at the sofa, clearing a tear that managed to escape. "Contrary to what you believe I do love Maura and I'm immensely proud of her. I accompany her career and I know she became one of the best doctors in her field. My daughter has surpassed any expectation I had of her." Constance said.

Jane saw how emotional the older woman was and simply replied. "I'm not the one who you should be telling these things to. Try visiting to spend time with her and not just because you're in the area in business, stay with her at her house, don't keep tabs in her career instead call her and ask about how she is and what she's doing."

"You're right." Was her reply, after saying that Constance stood up moving towards the door. "Well, thank you for coming, Jane. It was a pleasure to meet you." She said opening the door to let Jane out.

"Uh?" Jane muttered not knowing what to do.

"Do not worry, I heard you. And this is the moment we say our good-byes." Constance said, noticing the confused look on the brunette's face.

Knowing she was being dismissed and hoping for the best, Jane moved to leave since she probably wouldn't get nothing more out of the older Isles. "Have a good night, ma'am. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we see each other soon." She said, stepping out in the hallway feeling the tension leave her body.

Jane entertained the thought of going to Maura's hotel room but decided it was best not to. Maura probably wanted some time by herself and if she wanted Jane there, she would've called instead of sending the text, so Jane settle herself in going back to the team's hotel and seeing Maura in a few hours, right after the game.

* * *

The next afternoon Maura buried her resentments knowing there was nothing to be done and focused on having a good time at the game and supporting Jane. Last night she had received a comforting reply to her text and she was glad Jane didn't try to meet her and understood her need for some time alone.

She put the final touches on her make-up, grabbed her ticket and moved to call for a cab when a knock interrupted her actions. She quickly moved to see who was on the other side hoping it wouldn't delay her.

As soon as the face of the other person appeared Maura felt herself freeze and the words leave her genius brain for a moment. When she refocused she finally greeted her visitor.

"Hello, mother. I thought you would be on a plane right now."

Constance noticed her daughter's expression and cursed herself as it seemed like it was the first time she was truly noticing Maura and her feelings. "You're not wrong dear but I postponed it. I thought we could perhaps spend the day together." She said noticing they hadn't moved and she was still in the hallway.

Maura felt a mix of feelings, happiness that Constance was there but astonishment that she thought Maura would drop everything to stay with her. "I'm sorry mother, but I was just leaving to watch Jane's game."

"I know, Maura. You misunderstood me. I thought I could accompany you to the game. I have a car waiting for us, if you agree." The older Isles said.

Maura knew she didn't hide her surprise when she stumbled in her reply. "Hmm, yeah. Okay." She grabbed her purse and closed the door behind her. "Do you really want to attend the game, mother?" She asked while they rode the elevator down.

"Of course I am. I want to see the woman who makes you so happy in action." Constance replied as locked their arms together and spotted her driver and they drove off.

* * *

"Mother, what kind of ticket did you manage to get in such short notice? I can't enter through here with my ticket." Maura said as she noticed the direction the car was going near the stadium.

"After seeing what team your girlfriend was playing against tonight I called a friend and arranged a seat at the skybox. Do you really think I would come with you and let you watch alone while I'm somewhere else?" She replied as they moved through the hallways towards the skybox. Maura didn't reply but her silence and answer was clear to both women.

Sometime later the game had already passed the halfway mark and they were approaching the final quarter of the game. "It's a shame Jane isn't playing, dear." Constance commented as they watched the Patriots lose another play.

"Yes, mother. There's been some issue with the quarterback. Jane's been trying to talk to their coach but since she just got in, there's not much she can do." Maura replied before adding "She's quite the phenomenal player."

"I believe you Maura. But don't worry, I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunities to watch her games and I'll convince your father to watch it too." Constance said, her casual tone catching Maura off guard.

"I'm sure father will love the strategy and military roots of the game." Maura said but was interrupted.

"Constance?" The man asked approaching both ladies.

"Hello, Woody! I looked for you when we got in but couldn't find you. How are you, dear?" The older Isles greet him, ever the charming political woman.

"I'm fine, dear. I arrived not long ago." He answered, kissing her cheeks twice.

"Thank you so much for arranging this for me. I know it was last minute but you know how unpredictable my life is." Constance said.

"It was my pleasure. I'll admit I was a little surprise when you called asking for these seats but I understand your life well." He answered laughing. "And who are you with?"

Constance turned to her side wanting to bring Maura into the conversation but found no one by her side. Maura accustomed to being ignored whenever Constance got together with one of her important friends had moved to be closer to the window, focusing on watching Jane by the bench.

When Constance finally spotted Maura, she immediately moved taking closer taking Woody with her. "You remember my daughter Maura, don't you?" She said while grabbing her daughters surprised attention.

"I don't believe we ever met." He replied shaking Maura's hand. His answer surprised Constance and the dimension of her behavior towards Maura hurting her deep in the heart.

Maura remained silent observing her mother's response. "Well, she's the reason we're here today. Her beautiful girlfriend plays for the opposing team of yours, actually. We're here to support her."

"The young quarterback?" He asked directly at Maura.

"Yes. She just started." Maura replied with a soft smile.

He nodded before replying "Quite a find of theirs. Too bad she's in opposing team but let her know we're keeping an eye out on her if she ever decides she needs a change." He finished before excusing himself.

The ladies returned to their previous place, one in deep thought while the other concentrated on the end of the game and Jane leaving sadly to the locker-rooms after another game ending in a loss. After a moment, Constance broke the silence.

"You know, Maura, I don't believe I ever told you how proud I'm of you." She began, noticing the surprised look that had turned towards her. "I realized your father and I made a lot of mistakes towards you and will be a difficult and long road until you fully forgive us and we get to a solid point in our relationship but we're hoping you'll give us a chance to fix our mistakes and rebuild our relationship."

Maura, for her part, couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hope filled her chest but a small part of her brain told her to be careful and not be to excited. Tears began to fill her eyes and she said "I would like that very much, mother."

Mother and daughter hugged. "I know it may seem I don't care but I do. I am aware of your work and accomplishments and they make me, us actually, very proud and happy. You've made a name for yourself and you're a wonderful doctor. I'm so proud of you and love you so much." Constance said by Maura's ear.

The young Isles took a deep breath to take control of her emotions and tightened their hug.

"Why don't we get down and meet your lovely girlfriend?" Constance said, noticing her daughter's reaction and that they had enough emotional talks for one day. Maura nodded and they left the skybox in search of Jane.

* * *

The mood in the locker room was a tense one. Players were frustrated with the development of the team's season, going from a well-oiled machine to a team without creativity, with egos playing a major role in the plays and the game's development. Everyone was having problems with the way their old leader was behaving and with why their head coach hadn't made the choice to change his ways.

"Hey, kid." Jane heard from her side and looking up she saw one of the oldest players in the team and an important piece of the offensive line, Korsak.

"Hey, Korsak." She greeted him before adding. "Is everything alright? What can I do for you?"

"Actually, Jane. Is what can you do for you and for the team." He replied taking a seat beside her. "I know you can tell no one is happy about our performance in the last games. And I went to talk to coach trying to get some sense in him but I can't figure out what is in his head that he hasn't put you back in again. But other than that I'm trying to figure out why you haven't tried to do the same either."

Jane was surprised by his observations and said "I wasn't really sure if the players would back me up if I went to talk to him and also I didn't want to piss anyone of by getting in the middle of something I have no business being in."

"But you do have business. You want to win, right?" He replied and continued "Maybe at first most of the players were doubtful of you but make no mistake they're just waiting for your move to back you up." He ended, getting up and leaving Jane alone.

Realizing maybe this was his own way of backing her up, Jane looked over at Cavanaugh office and noticing he was alone, decided to tell him what she thought before the bye week to give him time to think about everything.

"Coach? Can I have a minute?" Jane asked already closing the door after her. Since he simply nodded, she continued. "I know there's probably things happening in the backstage that I have no clue about but I do know about my fellow team players and the atmosphere in and out the field; and there isn't one single person happy about our games. It isn't about the scores, we all know losses are part of the job but it's about how the game and plays flows."

Since he was clearing still playing attention she continued "You don't need to give me any reason why you're making the choices I know you can see aren't the right ones but I'm here to tell you I'm ready. I'm ready to be an integral part of the team and lead him back to the path we were." Jane said, not wanting to say any names, knowing her coach would understand. "I did a pretty decent job on the games I played and let me prove to you I can be your official starter from the next game on." She moved to leave and added "We both know what's pushing this team down. I hope you don't make the mistake to let that continue to happen." Exhaling she closed the door behind her not wanting for a response.

* * *

"Hey, babe! This a pleasant surprise!" Jane exclaimed as soon as she left the locker room all her tense thoughts leaving her mind at the sight of her girlfriend.

As soon as they were close enough, they wrapped themselves in a tight hug, both enjoying the feelings the other one evoked. "I'm sorry about the game, Jane." Maura said into Jane's ear.

"Let's not think about that right now." Jane replied wanting to focus on enjoying her night with Maura. "Happy thanksgiving, babe. I know the main thing I'm thankful for is having you by my side."

"Happy thanksgiving, Jane." Maura replied excitedly. "I'm thankful for you each day more." She ended catching Jane's lips in her own.

A throat clearing startled them out of the kiss, making both women turn to look at the source of the sound and cheeks reddened at the sight of a smirking Constance.

"Sorry mother." Maura said pulling out slightly of Jane's grip. "Mother, this is my girlfriend, Jane. And Jane, this is my mother Constance." She said, introducing the two.

"Oh we've met dear." Constance replied to her daughter. "Truly sorry about the loss, Jane." She added giving Jane a kiss on the cheek.

Jane's face heated up at the greeting and at the feel of Maura's questioning eyes on her. "Thanks for coming, Mrs. Isles." She replied.

"Anyone want to tell me how you've met?" Maura asked stiffly with her hands on her hips.

Constance realized she had shared something private, felt sorry for the look on the brunette's face. "We just had a chat last night, dear."

Maura looked between the two of them, examining the look on her mother's face and the way Jane kept her head down, looking down to the floor. And she quickly placed everything together. "Oh, I see." She said quietly.

Jane's heart broke at her girlfriend's tone, she wanted to wait to talk to her in private but couldn't stand Maura's sadness. "Maur, babe…" She started but was stopped.

"Don't, Jane." Maura said angrily before turning to look at her mother. "So you only came here because Jane told you to?" She asked hurtful.

With Maura first thought being those, Constance realized she had a lot more to make up than she thought. She approached Maura, placing her hands on Maura's shoulders. "Of course not, Maura!" She cupped Maura's cheeks "My actions for better or worse are my own. Yes, we talked about you but she only shined a light on how I was treating you with me even realizing. I'm not here because of a duty or forced. I'm here because after we talked I realized how wrong and misplaced my actions towards you were. I love you very much and I realized I wasn't showing it in the right way. And your father feels that way too." She said firmly wanting Maura to believe her. "You know I don't do anything I don't want to and the thing I want the most is to fix our relationship and be a part of your life." She hugged her emotional daughter whispering into her ear, before kissing her cheek "Don't be angry at Jane, please."

"I'll wait for you two by the car." Constance said, leaving the girls alone.

As soon as Constance was a few steps away Jane turned to Maura wanting to explain. "Maura babe, I was going to tell you tonight about that. You were just so disappointed and sad yesterday after she cancelled dinner and I got so angry she treated you like that again that I went to talk to her. I talked to her but what she said is truth, she wouldn't be here if she didn't want to. I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me."

Maura inhaled deeply looking into Jane's sorry eyes. "I am mad, Jane. But I understand why you did it." She said before adding "I know she's a stubborn woman that no matter what you two talked about if she didn't want to, she wouldn't be here. But what did you two talked about? And how did you found out where she was staying?"

Jane ran a hand through her hair before replying "We talked about you and how she was hurting you even if unconscionably. And I asked Frost to ask a cousin of his who works at a hotel here in the city and to cover for me while I was out. He asked around and found out."

Maura was emotionally shaken by this surprise. She was mad but at the same time the protective acts of her girlfriend was one of the things she loved the most. "You told Frost about me and her?" She asked feeling shame that he knew private things.

"No! I promise. I just asked him to find out and he didn't ask any questions. He knew it was important, though." Jane replied quickly.

Maura nodded accepting Jane's answer. "I believe you, Jane. I was just caught by surprise. I'm still a little mad you went behind my back but I understand why you did it. I would act the same."

"Thank you, Maur. I'm sorry and I promise I was going to tell you about it. Don't be mad much longer, please." Jane said sweetly, pecking her lips, glad she had understood.

"Let's go have our Thanksgiving dinner with mother so we can relax later tonight." Maura said, grabbing Jane's hand and pulling her out to where she knew the car was.

* * *

After meeting up with Constance, the trio went and had a lovely dinner at one of the older Isles favorite restaurants. Being a regular and a notorious person, they didn't have to wait a second before their table was ready. The three ladies laughed and shared stories making Maura feel like it was the beginning of the change in her relationship with her mother.

They lost track of time at the restaurant and when Constance driver pulled over to drop Maura and Jane off at their hotel, the young doctor hopped it wouldn't be like their others good-byes.

Jane stepped out of the car, lending Maura a hand before helping Constance out too. Since she knew mother and daughter deserved to have a moment alone, Jane was quick to act first and said her good-byes.

"Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Isles. It was nice to finally meet you." She said, extending her hand towards Constance.

However, Constance moved, catching her in a hug and said near her ear. "Thank you for loving my daughter so much and for making her this happy. We'll see each other soon."

The brunette blushed with her words and stepped over, entering the hotel leaving mother and daughter alone by the car.

"Maura, my dear, I had a lovely time with you and Jane. I can see why you're so happy and that you two truly belong together." Constance stated, approaching her daughter "I hope you trust me when I tell you things will be different from now on. Your father and I will be visiting more and calling you more, not only to talk about business. I know it will take time but I want you to confide in us and know we'll always be here for you." She ended, hugging Maura tight, tears filling both women's eyes.

After some minutes of sharing that moment they separated and wanting to control her emotions Maura said. "Father still has to meet Jane, perhaps we could spend some time in Paris together."

Constance laughed "Your Father and Jane, I don't even want to imagine." She sobered up and said "Lovely idea. It's been a while since you've been to our house in Paris. But unfortunately it's time for me to go. Have a great weekend with Jane and we'll talk again soon, dear." She ended kissing Maura cheek one last time before entering the car and leaving.

Maura looked as they drove away not believing what had happened these two days and the change in her mother's attitude. The young doctor still had her doubts and fears of getting her hopes up but in her heart she knew it would be different from now on and a happiness filled the place that was always hidden in her heart.

When the car turned and left her sight, she entered the hotel lobby searching for her girlfriend and finding her sitting in one of the armed chairs by the tv. She approached Jane, running a hand through her hair to catch her attention.

"Ready to go upstairs?" She asked when Jane looked at her.

The brunette immediately got up and locked her arms around Maura's waist.

"Everything okay between you and your mother, Maur?" Jane asked worriedly.

"Everything is fine. I know I might be settling myself up for disappointment but I really believe she wants to be closer." Maura said, taking Jane's hand and leading her towards the elevator.

"And you're not mad anymore with me? We're fine too, right?" Jane asked hopeful.

"I understand why you did it Jane. I'm not mad anymore especially with the way things ended. It was a shock at first but if you say you were going to tell me, I believe you." Maura said as they rode to their floor.

"Absolutely! And I'm glad your mother wants to change her ways. I'm sure you'll be begging for her to give you some time alone, just as I have to with my ma." Jane reassured and joked.

Maura laughed "I doubt that very much. Angela has an ability to be a constant present that my mother will never have." She said, making Jane laugh at her classy way of saying how the word privacy has a different meaning to Angela. "And besides, mother liked you a lot and we already made plans for you to meet father while were in Europe." Maura added entering the room.

Jane was still laughing when she heard what Maura said, making her freeze in place. "Wha? What do you mean with meet your father?" Jane said to an empty hallway, her panicking tone causing Maura to laugh all the way inside their room.

The brunette muttered to herself, resigning herself with her fate and entered the room to enjoy the start of her relaxing time with Maura. The couple taking advantage of their time alone to connect even more and strengthen their relationship even more.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks again for reading!**


	11. AN

I hate, _hate,_ _hate_ Author's note but I thought you all deserved an explanation. First, I have not abandoned this story, I will finish it! Second, I lost all my work and had a serious block the times I sat down to write it again but I'm working hard on it now; hoping to end this block and give you something new this month. My intentions are to end this story by february, no matter how many chapters I still have left. Which are a few more.

I hope you all understand and stay with me.

Thank you. x


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Once again thank you for all the support, the reviews and alerts. I'm so sorry for the long time since posting anything but I hope with this chapter my writer's block will be gone. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think. All mistakes are my own.**

* * *

Days passed after Jane's talk with her Coach, their bye week and days off came and went and Jane had hoped Cavanaugh had listened to her but as soon as they returned to practice she realized that wasn't the reality. Jane had talked again with Korsak and a few other players, letting them know she had tried but they all knew the decision wasn't in their hands.

And now she watched from the sideline as their AFC fate slipped through their hands; their current game switching in momentum and giving Miami a 2-possession lead after a series of bad decisions by Michael. They got here with 10-2 record, needing to win this game to clinch AFC East Championship and the first seed without depending on any other's team results.

At first Jane was confident this wouldn't be a difficult game and they would win without any trouble. However, in the third quarter Michael started to call plays that weren't even in their plans, questioning their coaches and made questionable passes that led to interceptions with good returns, putting their lead in jeopardy as the defense couldn't make up for all his mistakes.

The brunette watched as Cavanaugh angrily threw his notes at the bench near him when Michael threw another pass at middle field, the ball almost caught by the opposite safety, when both plays designed in the huddle were runs.

"Rizzoli!" Cavanaugh yelled out making Jane jump and grab her helmet as she quickly went to see what he wanted.

"Yeah, Coach?" Jane asked, letting him know she was by his side. He turned his eyes towards her and called the offense coach. "You have two minutes to get ready. You're going in next."

Jane simply nodded and went to warm up, focusing on her routines and recalling the plays assigned to this game during their prep meeting. The defense was on the field and were able to hold tight against the plays that came their way as the offense coach came and ran a few more thoughts and notes with her.

* * *

Meanwhile back in Boston, Maura sat in her office reviewing some of her notes for her next surgery in a few moments while the tv played in the background, when she suddenly heard: " _Cris, I'm going to stop you right there because it seems like Tracy has some interesting action going on in the Patriots sideline." Al Michaels, the commentary said,_ catching Maura attention and making her turn towards the tv.

" _That's right, Al. We just showed coach Cavanaugh express his frustrations over the debatable plays called on the field, but now I can tell you first hand is that he called out to his backup quarterback and after a tense moment, Jane Rizzoli started her warm-ups. It seems the young rookie is going to get some playing time tonight, Al."_

" _Thanks, Tracy. What a turn of events, Cris. A seemingly easy game to clinch their division win has turn soured and they're bringing in Jane Rizzoli to try to finish this game with a win." Al said._

" _Well, we all know Michael hasn't been making some good decisions after coming back from his injury, Al. Maybe…."_ Maura lowered the volume quickly when a knock sounded.

"Dr. Isles?" a nurse asked opening the door.

"Yes, Susie. What can I do for you?" Maura asked to one of her older nurses.

"The O.R. 3 will be ready in 10 minutes for the Johnson surgery."

Maura smiled and replied "I'll be right there."

As soon as the door closed, Maura let out sigh at the thought of missing this turn of events, debating what to do. Reaching for her phone in her pocket, she decided to send Jane a text knowing she wouldn't get it now but her surgery would run longer then the game.

" _Just saw that you're going in but my surgery will start soon. Congratulations and good luck and I hope everything turns out like we want it to. Text me when you're done. Love you. Maura."_

Not wanting to be late, she sent out the text and made her way towards the designated OR, missing what happened next back at the stadium.

* * *

With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Patriots defense forced an 3-and-out, preventing the Miami's offense from adding another score to the board and upping their lead even more.

When the Punt and Receiving teams took their places on the field, Jane finished her warm-ups, put her helmet on and went to reconvene with the coaches one last time to see how they wanted to approach this situation.

As she moved to take the field when the time came, she heard from her side: "Where do you think you're going, rookie?"

Jane turned to look at Michael's angered face, took it in stride and not missing a beat replied, tired of his attitude.

"I'm taking the field to try to fix your mistakes. Do you have no respect for your fellow players who are here playing for their life?"

"Watch your tone, Rizzoli and take a seat to warm-up the bench for the starters." He hissed back, shoving her with his hands.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Michael?" Cavanaugh yelled beside them, getting closer when he and everyone else noticed what was happening.

"You are out of your mind if you think I'll take a seat for her to enter." The older quarterback said to their coach.

"You will take a seat because it's my call. Not yours." Cavanaugh replied harshly.

Jane stood watching not knowing what to do as Michael gripped his helmet and said.

"If I take a seat it will be in the locker room and I'm not coming back." Michael threatened.

Cavanaugh simply looked him straight in the eyes and replied forceful. "Michael, take a seat."

It seemed like a lifetime but it was only a few tense seconds of starring match between both when, finally, the older QB turned angrily and made his way to the locker room. Cavanaugh took a breath, turned to Jane, and said clapping her shoulder;

"Get out there and do your best."

Jane nodded and replied "You got it, Coach." Putting her helmet on and walking down the field.

They both exhaled gathering themselves, not realizing the whole stadium, team and broadcast viewers witnessed what had transpired.

Since they still had 5 minutes in the third quarter, their game plan was to try and burn that time as much as they could to try to score and prevent the opposite team from having another turn with plenty of time in that quarter.

With running plays and quick short passes, they were able to reach the red zone with the time clock a little over 1 minute. Jane, feeling the excitement from the fans with the attack flowing well and the confidence and resilience from her fellow players, knew that if they ended this drive with a score the whole team would rise up and play their best to end the night with a win.

Jane knew they needed two touchdowns to take back the lead and win this game and she really didn't want to end this drive with a field goal, using all her time to survey the defense in order to maintain or to use their second play called in the hurdle. In one of her hard calls, she noticed the movement of the Dolphin's defense and when it was clear it was an individual coverage, Jane quickly called out "Alert, Alert" signaling the change in the play they were running and the players moved to take their new places.

"Ready! Red 54, Red 54. Hut, hut" Jane yelled out and she felt the ball being placed in her hands while everyone moved accordingly. Jane moved in the pocket, her eyes running through her targets down the field when she spotted a match she knew her TE could out-match. She flexed her arm and threw the ball to the corner and watched as the Patriots TE jumped and made the catch easily. The fans and players jumped in celebrating, everyone moving to congratulate the TE and celebrate together.

The opposite team would receive the ball with the clock under one but they would start the final quarter. Jane just hoped the defense could stand strong as they did during the whole game so far. In a move that surprised the brunette, they ended up letting the clock run out as the quarter ended.

As the Patriots rested in their sideline, the team's spirit was divided. Some hopeful they could recover from this situation and win the game while others doubted the coach action's since it was his call to maintain Michael even though the team's leaders had expressed their disagreement and wanted Jane from the beginning.

Cavanaugh sensing the high emotions of the players knew he had to keep them focused and motivated to finish this night in a high note. After he was told Michael had packed up his things and left to the hotel as soon as he entered the locker room, he knew he could speak freely and had to show his players he in this with them.

"Can everyone bring it in?" He asked his players to get together before continuing when he noticed he had the attention of everyone. "I know tonight hasn't transpired as we all hoped and I know part of that lays on me. I know I've made some decisions you didn't agree with and the mistakes from that call are on me. But I have no doubt we can overcame them and finish with a win tonight and clinch our division." He saw a few players nodding and added "If anyone of you still has a problem and need to talk you can see me after the game but what I ask is that you focus that energy on working together, giving your best on the field. Let's show them what kind of team we are and that they should fear us!" He ended fiercely, hearing Jane yell "Yeah, guys. We can do this! We run the east!" The whole team responded to her energy with shouts and agreement, the mood and atmosphere surrounding the team changing almost immediately.

After this demonstration if Cavanaugh still had any reservation of what kind of leader Jane was, they were all gone. He realized every player was behind her and he knew she would be the starter of his team, no matter how they ended tonight. Jane had showed him how talented she was and that she could lead this team, he would stand behind her if any opposition came.

They returned to the field to start the final quarter. It seemed the defense players were inspired because in the first down of the fourth quarter, the defensive line stood strong and prevented the run game from crossing the line of scrimmage, the running back being tacked as soon as he took two steps.

The defense was hyped up after that and for the second down the defensive coordinator called for a four-man rush and they were hungry for a sack. When the ball was snapped, they moved into action, pressuring the quarterback and making him leave the pocket to escape the sack, but in his rush to make the play he threw a deep ball while running and the Patriots safety noticing the receiver was covered tightly by the cornerback at the 20 yards mark, took off running in their direction and jumped to anticipate the opposite tight end and intercepted the ball into the air. Sadly, he didn't get to return the ball, being touched as soon as his feet touched the ground but it didn't matter as the stadium roared in celebration and the Patriots bench jumped with his pick.

Jane shook the safety's hand and patted the other's defense players on the back as she put her helmet on and prepared herself for get the ball. The offense would start at the 20 yards with 13 minutes to play. She hoped they would be able to have a long drive to burn most of the time of the quarter.

Their plays were flowing well and they managed to get to the 40 yard line of the opposite team but after that Jane didn't know what happened; their first and second down plays didn't enter, and a third and 7 became third and 17 after a fault of one of the players.

Jane observed the defense from her place at the shotgun and something told her both plays called won't work. She knew the defense was catching onto some of the calls. Knowing what she had to do, Jane took a breath and lifted her arms signaling for a time out.

Jane ran towards the sideline as Cavanaugh and the offensive coach took of their head-sets.

"What did you see, Rizzoli?" Cavanaugh asked, knowing she would only ask for a time-out for a very good reason.

"I don't think we'll be able to deceive them with the players on the field, Coach. And I know what I'm about to ask is going to sound out of line and strange but I think you should put rookie Frost on the field. We've been practicing some plays alone and I think some new blood will confuse them." Jane said quickly, watching as both coaches looked at each other. "Coach, if you trust me, then trust me." She added firmly.

He looked straight at her and nodded "Okay, you got it Rizzoli. Make this work." He said before asking one of the assistants to get Frost on the field and make the substitution. Jane ran back since time was running out and called for the huddle waiting until Frost joined them to start.

"Frost, you're going to line up on the wide left and run deep by the sideline, like the play we did last Thursday. Everyone else take your position same as in the play Alfa 43. Ready?" She asked, receiving nods in return.

Everyone lined up in place and moved as one as Jane snapped the ball, the offensive line protecting her as she ran through her projections giving time to Frost get to where she wanted. She knew he wouldn't stop running and when he got near the 20-yard line she moved her arm back and threw a long one and in perfect synchrony the ball fell straight into Frost arm's, completing the pass with practiced easy and catching the defense in surprise Frost escaped both tackles and finished his run by entering the end zone.

The stadium roared in celebration as the Patriots took back the lead with a touchdown by an almost unknown wide-receiver. The players ran to congratulate Frost and each other as Jane approached him after she greeted the others players.

"Great catch, man." She said, extending her hand and patting his back.

He smiled, shaking her hand. "Thanks Jane. And you too. Great pass." He said and she laughed. As Jane was walking off the field so that the field goal unit could do their job, he ran to catch up and grabbed her attention in the sideline.

"I meant it, Jane. Thank you for the confidence and chance. I know you told coach to put me in." He said grateful.

"Don't worry about it. We're brothers, right?" Jane uncomfortable with the sentimentalism added "Just don't drop my passes and we're good."

Frost laughed and the two walked off, taking their place in the bench to watch what the other team would do in the 5 minutes left to play.

The kickoff team did their job and Miami's next drive started by the 10-yard line, since they were down by three points the game was still undecided, the defense couldn't let their guard down.

However, Miami's offense managed to make some key plays right and the defense had allowed some third downs, keeping them in the game and they soon were running down the field and running the clock. They crossed the field goal line and were by the 30-yard line when the game reached the two-minute warning and when the game started again they had a third and 6 to continue with their drive.

It was a tense atmosphere in the stadium as everyone watched the development of a key moment in the game. If they got the third down, they would continue to burn down the clock and had real chances of scoring and winning the game. When the ball was snapped it was clear the kind of play called: a blitz. Luckily it didn't fool two of the players of the defense and they tackled the wide receiver as soon as he got the ball, pushing him out of bounds; celebrating the tackled and making it a fourth and 4 with 1 minute and a half to play.

No one moved as they waited to see if they would stay on the field to try the fourth down, in hopes of finishing the game with a touchdown with almost no time for a reaction from the Patriots or if they would try the field goal from where they stood. To Jane it was a no brainer, if it were her she would take the field goal and trust the defense but one never know what goes on in the coaches head.

They finally got ready with the offense on the field signaling they would try the fourth down. Everyone on both sidelines stood up in anticipation of what would happen. Jane felt her heart thumping in her chest as she watched the ball move into the quarterback hands and as he passed it to the running back behind him. The defensive line was struggling to break free from their opponents but when the running back crossed it, one of the patriots moved fast grabbing its foot and holding it, allowing the other Patriots to catch up and create a mountain of players from both teams, pushing him back and front. He finally collapsed backwards not reaching the marker as the referees whistled, signaling the end of the play and every patriot on the field, sideline and stadium celebrated the end of it and basically the end of the game and tough win.

In formality, only, Jane and the rest of the Patriots offense took the field as everyone greeted each other and with three knees down the game ended as the Pats players ran joyful to their locker room.

"Good game, everyone! You guys fought hard and didn't allow the adversities to get yours spirits down. It was a long and hard journey but you've made it as Champions of the AFC East! Congratulations! It was a well-deserved will for all your hard work. Celebrate today but don't forget the rode isn't over yet. So, enjoy the weekend off and be ready for some more hard work!" Cavanaugh said in the locker room, as everyone celebrated and received their shirts and caps of Champions.

He approached Jane pulling her into the corner. "Jane, you did great today and I just wanted to reassure you that you'll be our number one from now on. Keep up the good work." He said, patting her on the shoulder.

Jane smiled and replied "Thanks, Coach. It means a lot and I promise I won't let you down."

He simply nodded and said "Get some rest and get yourself ready because I know you're anxious to go back to your girl."

Jane blushed "You bet sir." She replied and he laughed as the two went their own way.

The brunette took some pictures with her team mates and friends before picking up her own cellphone, noticing she had a text message from Maura, smiling wide as she read it and having an idea on how to reply.

* * *

The doctor's phone beeped and she looked up from the surgical site in front of her towards Susie silent telling her to see what it was.

"It's from Jane, Dr. Isles." Susie replied, knowing the young doctor was dating Jane despite the doctor's discretion and never meting the brunette. She considered herself a friend and was happy for the blonde, she cared a lot for Maura; having worked with her for a long time. The nurse knew the doctor was sometimes misunderstood and taken for someone weird but underneath all knowledge and elegant and formal poise, it was a sweet and fragile heart. "She sent a text and two photos. Do you want me to open it?" The nurse added.

For a moment, she was afraid Jane had texted her photos for her eyes only but then realized the brunette would imagine she was still in surgery and the game had just ended. Lifting her eyes again she replied. "Could you, please?"

 _"Hey, Maur! Thanks for the good luck, it worked! We won the game and the clinched the East! I know you're probably still in surgery but we're finishing up in here and we'll be back tonight. Weekend off! Call you when I land. Xx, Jane."_

"And there's a selfie of a smiling beautiful brunette wearing a champions cap and one photo of the brunette and one young man standing side by side with arms crossed on their chest looking tough but happy with champions shirts." Susie ended her description.

"Thank you, Susie." Maura said, a smile clear on her face despite her mask. The blonde was celebrating Jane and the team's win in her mind and making plans on how they would celebrate together when her musings were interrupted.

"Was that Jane Rizzoli from the Patriots, Dr. Isles?" The fellow surgeon that was with Maura in that operation asked when they were in the last stage of the surgery.

"Yes, it was Dr. Smith." Maura replied looking up from where she was suturing.

"Great! Since she's clearly a good friend of yours, could you give me her phone number?" He asked hopeful, his intentions clear in his tone.

Maura tilted her head in confusion "Yes, she's my best friend." She replied honestly, not wanting to share much of their life with everyone in the operation room. Maura knew one of the things that made their relationship work and so special was the fact that they were madly in love with each other and, at the same time, were each other's best friend. "And I technically could give you her phone number but I won't. And you're married John, what will your wife say about this?"

The man's face fell when he heard Maura's answer. "Oh come on, Maura! Don't worry about my wife. We have a deal and Jane Rizzoli is one of the women she agreed to have a threesome with. She won't mind." He said smiling wide.

Maura's face turned furious under the mask, her anger clear in her green eyes as the whole room stopped to watch the scene unfold. Maura took a breath to focus her mind in the task in hand and finished closing up the patient, handing the instruments to the assistant beside her and turned back to the other doctor. "Your wife may not mind but I will mind. And since Jane is my girlfriend and we're in a loving, happy relationship I know my opinion will be the one that matters. So again, no. I won't give you her number. And for your sake I hope you never ask me again." She said, her voice cold and deadly, deciding to make it very clear to everyone in the room. She knew their relationship would be the gossip of the moment in the hospital and she wanted everyone to know how protective she was of their relationship. With a nod to Susie, she turned and left to scrub out and finish her shift.

Luckily for her, Maura was able to spend the rest of her shift doing her notes and reading some articles in her office, her pager being uncharacteristically silent the whole time.

Maura entered her house, the night's silence and moon's light surrounding her as she exhaled her exhaustion as soon as she took her first sip of her favorite wine. She decided to take a bath and wait for Jane to arrive but when the brunette didn't text her, she didn't know if Jane had changed her mind or if the team hadn't arrived in Boston yet. So, the blonde changed her plans and got herself ready for bed, wanting to be fully rested for their weekend together.

Maura didn't know how long she had been sleeping when she felt the bed dip and arms around her waist. "Jane?" she asked sleepy.

"Shh. Go back to sleep, babe." Jane replied kissing her neck, feeling Maura push her back closer to her front.

"What time is it and how did you get in?" Maura mumbled.

"Late, baby; our flight got delayed and you left your door unlocked. I told not to do that." Jane whispered, knowing the blonde had a habit of forgetting to lock her front door.

"Okay." She said bringing Jane arms closer to her chest. "And I'm sorry." She added, yawning.

"It's fine, Maur. Will talk tomorrow. Love you." Jane said, tucking her face into blonde's neck and curls, receiving no answer back as they both surrendered to the dream word.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **A/N: I know. I'm sorry. If there's anyone still out there, hope you like this chapter. The mistakes are my own.**

* * *

After the divisional win, and with a week to prepare, Jane moved her focus towards their latest adversary: Baltimore Ravens. They would play Sunday night at the Gillette stadium given their home field advantage.

Since they were practicing at the Patriots facility, Jane was testing getting there in the morning and leaving, driving straight back to Boston and sleeping at Maura's house. So far, it was going great, she wasn't getting tired and was happy for that extra time with Maura. For Jane, it cemented even further that they could make their relationship work without neither of them having to change their routine much.

Maura, for her part, had a permanent smile on her face the whole week, feeling like they were living the best of both worlds. managing to find a routine between their schedules and filling her heart with love and happiness. So much that the blonde decided to surprise Jane with her favorite homemade dinner, having asked Angela for the recipe.

As she scanned the aisles of the grocery store near her home for the ingredients, she didn't notice where she was going and her cart ended up colliding with another one.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Maura exclaimed looking up to the other person.

"Maura?" The handsome man asked looking back at the blonde.

"Ian." Maura said surprised.

"You look great, Maura. It's been so long." The Australian said scanning Maura's body and moving towards a hug.

Maura politely hugged him back, quickly putting distance between them. "Yes, it has been quite some time. How are you?" She asked.

"I've been good. I arrived in the States last week." He replied, allowing himself to miss the time they had together. "How about we catch up tomorrow over dinner?" He asked charmingly.

Maura didn't notice his intentions "We can't have dinner but lunch would be nice." She replied simply wanting to get together with someone she considered her friend.

Ian's smile slipped little but he said "Great! How about that restaurant near the hospital we used to go?"

"That's fine. See you there around 12." Maura said already moving on to continue her search for supplies.

"It's a date." He said smiling when she was too far to hear.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Jane yelled out jokingly when she got to Maura's house at night.

"I like the sound of that." Maura replied greeting her at the door as they shared a deep kiss that both hoped to convey the fact that they missed each other.

They slowly eased out of the kiss to catch their breath but stayed wrapped up in each other. With one hand over Maura's waist while the other moved to caress the blonde's cheek, Jane said: "I missed you, babe. How was your day?"

Leaning into Jane's hand while her own remained wrapped around the brunette's neck, Maura replied "I missed you too, Jane. And my day was good. My surgeries went great and everyone is recovering happily." Giving Jane one last peck on the lips, she grabbed one of Jane's hand in her own pulling towards the dining table saying, "In fact my day was so good and calm that I have a surprise for you."

"Wow, Maur. You shouldn't have." Jane said as she saw Maura's surprise. The dining room filled with candles and her favorite dish in the middle of it.

"But did you like it?" Maura asked timidly.

"Are you kidding?" Jane said turning to look at her. "I loved it" she added kissing the blonde. "And you even made my favorite meal." Jane said happily moving them to take their seat. "I'm going to get spoiled if you do this often."

"Maybe I want to spoil you." Maura replied charmingly.

Jane let out a wide smile leaning forward to kiss her girlfriend. "Thank you, Maura. I love you" She kissed her a few more times before saying "This smells amazing, baby. Let's eat so that I can show you how much I love you."

* * *

The next day both ladies went their own way after a healthy breakfast and shared kisses. Jane went on her now customary drive towards Foxborough and Maura went to her shift at the hospital.

Maura's morning was calm, she studied for her surgeries in the afternoon and visited patients before leaving to meet up with Ian at the restaurant. On her way, the blonde marveled about how a man that once enchanted her, almost blinding her; now had no power over her whatsoever.

Since meeting Jane, Maura had realized how her previous relationships were emotionally damaging and how she was used for the others own benefits and pleasures without any disregard for her feelings.

The doctor had no doubt in her mind that she was only going to this meeting to end this chapter of her life and tonight, when Jane got back, she would talk to her about her insights of her 'older' life.

Entering the restaurant, Maura scanned the room before spotting Ian at one of the tables in the center of the room.

"Hello, Ian." She said, quickly sitting down after she noticed he was standing up to hug her.

The Australian moved back into his seat, the frown on his face of confusion about what had happened vanishing in a glimpse. "Hello, Maura. May I say you look simply gorgeous in that dress." He said with a confident smirk.

Maura feeling uncomfortable, with his compliments and under his hungry gaze, turned looking for a waiter while replying with a demure "Thank you."

After they placed their orders, somehow the conversation turned to a monologue about Ian's travels and things he conquered in every place he stayed. All the while, Maura kept wondering how could she ever fall for his charms and one day think he could be a part of her future. She finally realized he hadn't and never had asked how her day was or anything regarding her life. He wanted her as his audience and was never truly interested in her life.

"Maura?" The blonde heard from her side and turned her head to see who it was.

"Frankie, hi!" She said getting up to greet him, noticing how uncomfortable he was, his eyes looking back and forth between her and Ian. "What are you doing here?" She asked, glad to see him.

"Having lunch with Stella." Frankie replied gruffly not taking his eyes of Ian, pointing to his date beside him.

Pleasure to meet you. I'm Maura." She said shaking the other woman's hand, getting a shy "hello" back.

"And who your date might be?" He asked finally turning to look intensely at Maura.

The blonde's eyes turned wide when finally realizing what her brother-in-law was thinking, "Oh no, Frankie! This isn't…" she started but was cut off.

"I'm Ian. Nice to meet you." Ian said getting up and offering his hand to shake.

Frankie's eyes didn't leave Maura for the longest second before grabbing hard the offered hand. "We'll leave you to it."

"Wait, Frankie! I promise this is not what it looks like." Maura said desperately grabbing his arm as he turned to leave.

"Does my sister know you're here?" He asked simply.

Maura didn't know what to say, simply because Ian didn't enter her mind after Jane got home and she didn't even remember to talk to Jane about it.

"I see." He said quietly before leaving a sad looking doctor standing alone in the middle of the restaurant.

"Is everything all right, Maura?" Ian asked.

Angry at the situation and at the man beside her, she turned to look at him fiercely answering "No, Ian. This situation is not all right. None of this is right." Grabbing her purse, she started to leave.

"Why? Wait up, darling."

"Do not call me that. You had no right to give him the impression that this was anything more than friends having lunch. This was not date or anything remotely like that." She said.

"What do you mean? We always get together when I'm in town. Was he your boyfriend or something?" He said

"We used to. But, since then, I realized how selfish and self-centered you are. I'm in a happy relationship and, not that it's any of your business, but he is my brother in law." She said fiercely, knowing by the look on his face that he wasn't expecting her to react, making Maura realized how much she has grown.

"If you ever cared, do me a favor and do not contact me any further. Leave me alone." She ended, making her way to the hospital dialing Jane's number on the way back to talk to her and prevent this from blowing up in her face but only getting voicemail.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Maura was changing out of her surgical scrubs back into her clothes, ready to go home from what she considered a troubled Friday. Even though she was distracted, her surgeries went well but she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened over lunch.

She knew Frankie was going to talk to Jane about it but she wanted to talk to her first and she didn't know if that was possible or not. Since it was near the time Jane's practice ended, Maura decided to call her as soon as she arrived home.

However, it seemed none of her plans were concreting as the blonde's cellphone rang the moment she closed her door and she struggled with her bags to answer it.

"Dr. Isles." She answered not looking at the display to see who it was.

"Hey." The husky voice she loved so much reaching her ears.

"Jane! I'm sorry, I didn't look at the display. I missed you today and need to tell you something. Are you coming home?" She asked breathlessly.

"I missed you too, babe." Jane said somberly.

Maura, hearing her tone and hesitation, grew serious and sat down on her couch. "Is everything all right, Jane? Did you hurt yourself?" She asked worried.

Jane chuckled humorless before saying. "No, nothing physical. I just…" she paused before continuing sadly "well, Frankie told me you were on a date today, Maura. Is that true?"

Maura squeezed her eyes shut at the hollow tone of Jane's voice and cursed herself for hurting her. "No! It wasn't like that, Jane." She exclaimed passionately, hoping Jane would let her explain. "I love you. And only you. I promise. Just let me explain please."

Jane sighed, debating what to do. "Okay. Tell me what was really like."

Maura breathed out hoping to calm herself, wanting to explain everything clearly and not leave any doubt in Jane's mind.

"Yesterday when I was at the grocery store buying what we needed for our dinner, I ran into Ian…" she started from the beginning but was interrupted.

"Ian Faulkner, your ex-lover?" Jane said angrily.

Maura faltered but replied "Yes, my former acquaintance." Saying "lover" to Jane brought her a feeling of cheating. "Please Jane, let me explain everything first before your questions." She added quietly.

Jane grunted but replied "Fine."

The blonde cleared her throat before continuing "I didn't even recognize him at first, perhaps because I feel like I've changed so much after you came into my life that everything before seems like a fogged memory." She waited for a reaction from Jane but since there wasn't one, she carried on "Next thing I knew he was asking me out to dinner, I thought it would be nice to get some closure but at night is our time so I told him we could go out to lunch. I completely forgot to tell you about it since we had such an amazing time during our romantic dinner, I promise I wasn't trying to hide anything."

Maura heard Jane moving and desperately wanted to know what the brunette was thinking. "I had no desire or feelings towards him, yesterday or today. I simply wanted to end that part of my life with good feelings, even if he mistreated me or was incredibly selfish he was still a friend during a time in my life. And today, I realized how badly I was treated in my previous relationships and I know that because now I finally have something, or better yet, someone good in my life. When I got home tonight I was going to talk to you about it. Anyway, I thought it was clear to him that it was simply two friends catching up but when Frankie approached us, Ian clearly didn't think like that, and assumed it would end as it normally did. I got angry at myself and him, and left. I tried to call you but I only got your voicemail. I'm so sorry for hurting you by forgetting to tell you and misreading everything. You know it's still hard for me to notice some things." She finished quietly and waited for Jane to say something.

Jane exhaled, and after a moment of silence, said "I know, Maur." And she did know that sometimes Maura saw things rationally and logically and didn't know others were thinking differently, especially in social interactions. But still, Jane couldn't stop her insecurities from getting to her. "Do you promise you didn't feel anything for him? I know he can give you so much that I can't." Jane added.

"But you're wrong! You give so much more. I felt nothing for him. I only felt shame in myself for believing he was good for me. I love you like I never loved anyone and I need you in my life." Maura said passionately.

"I love you too, Maur. And I believe you. It was just hard, you know? Hearing you were at a fancy restaurant with a man ogling at you." Jane said.

"I'm sorry again, Jay. I never meant to hurt you. And I was going to talk to you tonight, please believe me. Please don't drive home mad." Maura replied.

"I'm not mad. For a moment, I had to imagine my life without you, because you had realized you wanted to be with him, and it was like everything in me had shattered." She started, knowing Maura wouldn't like what was coming next "I just need sometime alone to put myself together again so I'm going to stay here tonight, okay?"

Maura tried to hold in a sob but knew she wasn't successful and she sniffed drying a few escaping tears, trying to understand Jane's side. "If it's that what you want then understand Jane. I'll miss you holding me tonight. I love you, okay? No one else." She said.

"Don't cry, babe, please. I love you too, Maur. I'll miss you in my arms. I'll call you tomorrow okay?" She said, emotionally drained.

"Okay, I love you. Good night" she replied knowing Jane was done with the heavy talk, and hearing a whispered "goodnight" in reply she disconnected the call.

* * *

Even before the sunrise and after a relentless night, Jane woke up thinking about what both Frankie and Maura told her. In her heart, she knew Maura loved her and had no doubt it was a misunderstanding; if someone had second intentions and tried to take advantage of something was Maura's ex, who probably thought Maura was going drop at his feet. Just that thought made Jane shake in anger and want to punch the guy.

The brunette knew the blonde had been hurt when she said she was going to stay in Foxborough but Jane knew it was the right decision. She needed to calm down and get a hold of her emotions alone before facing Maura; but know she longed to have Maura in her arms and to reassure the blonde that they were fine.

Since the game was the next day, they would only have a technical practice with review of plays and strategies to play against the Ravens and the brunette knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate without truly making up with Maura. Since it was a late practice, Jane decided to drive to Boston and back hoping to make the blonde happy. As soon as the sun appeared, Jane got to her car and drove, knowing she would get there right after Maura had awoken.

Sometime later, in Chestnut Hill, Maura stretched and reached for the other side of the bed but, when her hand encountered cold sheets, reality set in as the previous day entered in her mind with Jane's tone filled with hurt echoing in her ears.

Even though her heart was still hurting, she didn't have any more tears left to cry and had to get herself ready for her afternoon shift at the hospital. She grabbed her robe, going down to the kitchen to make her coffee and breakfast.

The blonde was in the middle of her cup when the doorbell rang, at first she hoped it might be Jane but quickly dismissed that thought when she remembered the brunette wouldn't be ringing it. She stood up, making her way to see who it was.

"What are you doing here?" She asked angrily, folding her arms, and closing her robe even more, feeling somewhat vulnerable in it.

"Please, Maura, hear me out." Ian said, "Can I come in?"

Maura couldn't believe the audacity of the man in front of her, she clearly told him to stay away and he shows up at her door. She didn't want to let him in but didn't want her neighbors to witness this discussion. So, she stepped out of the way but remained in the hall not letting him enter further into her home.

"What do you want? I told you yesterday I didn't want to see you or talk anymore." She said fiercely.

"I know, I heard you. And it made realized how much you've changed. I'm not sure we would be good together anymore." He said, making Maura think to herself _You obviously want someone who will fall for your charms without questions "_ And I came to apologize for making you feel like that." He ended.

Maura almost laughed at his version of apology, happy she had grown and not blind to his egocentric ways anymore. "I hope you find your happiness the same way I found my happiness." She simply said, ending the conversation in what she hoped a polite manner and moved to open the door.

However, before she could touch the doorknob, it started to turn opening the door from the other side, revealing Jane with a bouquet of flowers.

Maura felt her heart swell and smiled wide at the sight of her girlfriend, moving closer to wrap her in a hug, her eyes frowning in confusion after seeing Jane's eyes leave hers and Jane's face fall as she dropped the flowers.

The small thud from the flowers hitting the floor sounded like a nuclear bomb in Maura's ears bringing her back to reality and the fact that she was in a robe with Ian behind her.

"Jane, wait!" The blonde screamed, running after the brunette when she turned to leave. "Is not what you think!"

"That's getting old, Maura." The brunette said with her heart broken.

Maura faltered but carried on, passing Jane, standing in front of her, blocking her path. "But it's the truth." She said, looking into Jane's eyes.

"I know what is going through your mind right now, but that did not happen." Maura said, knowing the worst was running through the brunette's mind. "I went to bed alone after our talk, missing your arms around me. And as I was having breakfast this morning, he showed up. That's why I'm in my robe and I only let him inside because of the neighbors. He was just leaving." She said, emotion dripping through her worlds and eyes begging Jane to believe her.

The brunette looked deeply into Maura's eyes and after moments of silence she opened her mouth to reply.

"She's telling the truth, you know?" A male voice interrupted her. "I came here to apologize for my actions yesterday." Ian said stepping closer to the tall brunette, watching her wrap an arm around Maura's shoulders bringing her closer. "I meant no disrespect towards the both of you or your relationship. I truly hope that, when we cross paths again, we're able to maintain our friendship. Good bye, ladies." He finished going to his car and driving away.

Jane exhaled, looking down to the woman in her arms. "Hey." She said, with a light smile, running her hands through Maura's arms.

"Hey, Back." Maura replied, snuggling more into Jane. "Do you believe me, right?" She asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

Jane distanced herself a little, putting both hands on Maura's face, looking into her eyes. "Of course I do. Even before he interrupted us. I know you can't lie." She said, a smirk in the end before turning serious "I know you wouldn't lie to me."

Maura let out a relieved breath and a watery smile, trying to hold her tears. "I love you, so much."

"I love you too babe" Jane replied smiling before catching Maura's lips in a passionate kiss, both women wrapping around each other.

Suddenly realizing they were still outside, Maura pulled away. "Not that I'm not happy, but can we finish this inside?" She asked already going back while fixing her dismantled robe.

"Right, you're right" Jane said running her hands through her hair trying to calm down. Picking up the flowers from the floor, one of Ian's words came back to her.

"Maur, when Ian said he came to apologize, did he hurt you yesterday?" Jane asked angrily.

Maura unclench Jane's fists, trying to calm her, and replied "Not physically. He was just disrespectful and thought I was still the same weak person from before."

Jane huffed wanting to punch Ian's face even more, before finding herself in Maura's arms. "I know we still need to talk, but why don't we do it cuddling in bed?" Maura asked sweetly making Jane chuckle.

"You got it, Maura. But first." She said leaving Maura standing alone in the hall, exiting, and closing the door after her.

A confused Maura stood looking at the door, waiting to see what Jane was planning. She found out when the doorbell rang and letting out a smile, she opened.

"Hello, beautiful. This are for you, to show you how much I missed you." Jane said standing outside the door, smirking.

"Good morning, Jane. They are lovely." Maura replied, playing Jane's game, grabbing the flowers, and kissing the brunette. Feeling Jane tighten her arms around her waist, Maura quickly lifted her legs wrapping them around Jane's waist and felt herself be carried through the house towards her bedroom, where they stayed until it was time for them to leave for Foxborough and her shift.

* * *

On Sunday, Maura's life was once again in order as she got herself ready to wait for Frankie to pick her up as the three of them were going to Foxborough together.

It was the conference championship game and the Gillette stadium was buzzing as fans from both teams, Ravens and Patriots, screamed and cheered as images appeared in the jumbotron.

Since Jane had taken a more permanent spot in the team, Maura, Frankie and Angela had been invited to watch the game at the skybox but, they didn't feel the need or were completely comfortable with that. They liked feeling the crowd's adrenaline even though the blonde knew that once Jane became more famous and their relationship got more attention, she wouldn't be able to stay incognito in the crowd.

They took their seats dressed in their ever growing Patriots apparel and waited for the game to begin.

Jane, for her part, did her "good luck" traditions in the locker room, before getting ready and waiting for the coach's speech. It wouldn't be technical or anything like that, more a motivational one. The preparation was done and she would only run through the list of plays in her mind while warming on the field. She felt ready and the team was ready. They would only lose if they beat themselves.

As everyone moved down the tunnel to enter field, Jane passed everyone by, clapping hands or backs, hyping the players, wanting an electrified team on the field. She took her place in the front with Frost beside her, waiting for their cue. The brunette heard the crowd cheers as the Ravens took the field and fixed the beanie in her head, knowing their turn would be soon.

Jane took a deep breath when she heard them announcing the Patriots and fans cheering when Pats Pat entered with the cheerleaders. Feeling a pat on her back she looked sideways seeing Frost wide smile in silent question. She smirked confidently in reply and nodded as her silently answer.

At that, Frost faced forward and took of running fast not waiting for anyone, the cheering growing when he came out speeding through their stadium; Jane started her jog, leading the team as they exited the tunnel.

Maura cheered loudly with the fans when she saw someone speed light out of the tunnel, glancing at the Jumbotron and seeing it was Frost. Not a moment later she saw her love get out in a comfortable jog and she cheered even more, feeling the stadium shake with the excitement from the others fans and the hairs on her neck rise with that energy, that grew even more when Jane raised her fist in acknowledgment. Jane started her warmups and focused back on the game, waiting for it to begin.

In the first quarter, the two teams couldn't get a rhythm to their offense, the Patriots defense was playing beautifully, overpowering the Ravens offense and Joe Flacco. However, the Pats offense was another story; Jane was putting all the balls in their place and finding players open all over field but they would just drop the ball or not gain any yards after the catch. Frost was playing well but after some key plays he made, he was double teamed and he still was trying to figure out how to shake both players. They were winning by two field goals, but the brunette was not happy. She knew they needed a play that boosted the offense mood and killed mood of the Ravens defense.

They started the second quarter near the 20-yard line and, with a quick pass, Jane hit Frost in his middle route, one of players covering him, tackling Frost near the 8-yard line, giving the Patriots for the first time a chance to score a touchdown.

The coaches called a running play and Jane knew it was the best option since the Ravens were probably expecting the ball to go to Frost. Everyone took their place with Jane at shotgun and she yelled out signaling the start of the play. She passed the ball to the running back behind her and watched as he moved to the side to cut the opposite players.

But a second later, she also watched him lose the ball and a mass of players jump on top of it trying to grab the ball. Her despair turned into hope as, in an unbelievable lucky way, someone ended up kicking the ball towards one of the Patriots players, who moved quickly grabbing it and jumping into end zone and scored the touchdown. Jane laughed incredulously and went to congratulate him.

After that, as Jane had predicted, the whole team got an energy boost and the game finally became interesting and started to look good for the Patriots. They managed to score another touchdown while the Ravens scored a touchdown and a field goal point; the second quarter ending with a score of 20x10 for the Patriots.

Since they had deferred in the coin toss, Jane and her offense got the ball to start the third quarter and, while they had a 10-point lead, she didn't want anyone to let their guard down, knowing one mistake could set back what they had done.

The Ravens defense also stepped up and managed to stop some of their plays resulting in 3-and-out drive, frustrating Jane again. Lucky Flacco's performance took a turn for the worst and his passes were incomplete one's or thrown away.

With a few minutes to end the 3rd quarter, Jane called everyone to the huddled and said, "Okay guys, let's try to enjoy their bad sequences and put some more distance in the score. We're going to do the Flying Panther, everyone good?" Getting nods in return, they broke and took their place in the line.

From her place at shotgun, Jane surveilled the field, studying the defense before looking at her own teammates places to see if they were aligned correctly. She started to get them ready by yelling out their signal while looking around her "Ready! Get ready!" She noticed Frost jogging sideways coming closer to her and assume an incorrect spot from the designed play. However, Jane wouldn't have the time to correct him and was forced to put their play in action. "GO!GO!"

The brunette got the ball and faked a play with the running back behind her before moving to look down the field and, with time to find the perfect open target, Jane spotted Frost near the 10-yard line, and without thinking twice, she put her arm back and threw a long deep pass hitting Frost at the 5-yard line, making it easy for him to just continue running and, with a few steps, enter the end zone making it a 51 yards touchdown.

Jane ran to congratulate him shaking her head and chucking "You got lucky in this one, man!" She said, patting him on the back.

Frost laughed "We don't need luck, Jane." He replied joking.

The third quarter ended with the score of 27x10 for the Patriots. The Ravens team tried to close the distance but Flacco's performance wasn't a match for the defensive players, multiples sacks marking the fourth quarter for the Ravens while the Patriots closed their win with another touchdown, ending the game 34x10 as the stadium erupted in cheers.

"Maura!" The blonde heard Frankie yelling through her cheers and the stadium noise. She turned to give him her attention. "Let's go!" He yelled, gesturing to her follow him.

Confused on why he didn't want to stay for the ceremony, seeing that they were putting up a podium while the players were in the locker room, she ran after him and Angela to catch up and ask them what was going on.

When they cleared the noisiest area, Frankie turned to both ladies looking at expecting faces. "Jane got us cleared for the field for the celebration. I thought maybe you would want to be there and not in the stands, Maura." He said.

The blonde couldn't believe and stopped herself from squealing and grabbed the pass from Frankie's hand. "Let's go! We can't miss it!" She said, not waiting for them, and running towards the field.

Maura didn't spot Jane among the sea of players wearing "AFC Champions" jersey's and caps, so she stood to the side with Angela and Frankie hoping one of them saw Jane. She watched as a former Patriots player handed Mr. Kraft, the owner, the Lamar hunt trophy, and the older man gave a powerful speech about the Patriots history and thanked the fans.

Her beautiful girlfriend finally appeared behind her coach when Cavanaugh receive the trophy and answered how he was feeling winning his first conference trophy.

"This season been a roller coaster and marked with tough decisions, that lead us here." He said rising the trophy. "This isn't only my first conference win but it's ours! And I know this marks new times for the Patriots organization. It's the first of many!" He ended handing the trophy back to the presenter.

"Let's hand now this trophy to number 12 over here, Jane Rizzoli." He said bringing her front and center as the stadium cheered louder and Maura's eyes filled with tears watching her girlfriend accomplish so much and try to control her emotions as she waved to the crowd as confetti started to fall from the sky.

"Jane, how does it feel to make it this far in your first year in the NFL?" The presenter asked.

The brunette ran a hand through her hair to calm down and replied. "It feels unbelievable. I'm thankful for everything the organization, the coaches and Mr. Kraft did for me, taking a chance on someone who was against the odds."

"And is that your motivation? Show everyone what they missed?" He asked

"No. I'm glad they missed me because it got me here. My motivations are my fellow teammates, not wanting to let their hard work go for nothing." She paused "The fans, who encouraged and supported me. Thank you!" She yelled out as the stadium shook, "And my family and loved ones who never stopped believing in me." Jane ended searching the crowd for Maura, Angela and Frankie.

"One more question and I'll let you search for them, Jane." He said, watching her wandering eyes. "Going to the Superbowl. How do you think it's going to be?"

Jane smiled and replied, "All I know for sure is that it'll be one hell of a game."

"The AFC champions, everyone! Congratulations." He ended, shaking Jane's hand and she walked down the stairs quickly looking for Maura.

Jane finally spotted the three of them with their back towards her, probably looking into the crowd searching for her.

With quick steps, Jane reached her love and grabbed her from behind, arms around her waist lifting Maura from the floor. "We won!" She said into the blonde's ear hearing a squeal in return.

After her scare, Maura turned her head kissing Jane on the cheek. "Congratulations, babe. You were amazing."

Jane put her back down and replied "Thank you, baby. I couldn't have done it without your support. I love you." She ended, kissing Maura short but passionately.

"I love you too." Maura replied after the kiss, giving a light tap on Jane's cap, making Jane laugh.

"Here you go, Maur." She said taking the cap off and putting on Maura's head. "It looks better on you, anyway." She ended with a wink and, as if suddenly remembering they weren't alone in the world, she turned to hug Angela and Frankie, as Maura watched them celebrate together.

So hyped with their win and celebrating with her family, Jane lost track of time, coming back to earth only when one of the Patriots personnel tapped on her shoulder saying the players were going to the locker room for a final talk and then they were free to go home.

Not wanting to waste any time but not ready to be separated from Maura yet, Jane kissed the blonde and said "I have to go back to the locker room to change and we can go home. Wanna come with me?"

"Are you sure I can come?" Maura asked not wanting to put them in trouble.

The brunette didn't even reply, taking Maura's hand into her own and telling Frankie and Angela they would meet them back at the parking lot.

They chatted quietly simply enjoying each other's company, not battling an eye to anyone around them. Arriving at the locker room hallway, Jane walked Maura over to a sofa and asked her to wait there while she changed and, with one last kiss, they parted ways.

Entering the locker room, chaotic fun aroused around her, players taking pictures in every corner, before coach Cavanaugh asked everyone to get together.

"Solid win, everyone. But it's not over yet. The journey is ending but the most important challenge is still to come and in two weeks all our hard work will be rewarded. I won't keep anyone here any longer, so go home, celebrate and be ready for Monday for a practice bright and early." He ended as everyone cheered and moved on to get ready to leave.

Jane went to her secluded shower and got dress as fast as she could not wanting to keep Maura waiting much longer. The brunette said good-bye to her teammates and left accompanied by Cavanaugh and the owner of the franchise Mr. Kraft.

They chatted as they walked, Jane letting out a smile as soon as Maura came into sight. "Are you ready, Maur?" She asked, grabbing the blonde's attention.

Maura let out a smile, standing up fixing imaginary wrinkles on her clothes. "Babe, this is coach Cavanaugh and Mr. Kraft." Jane introduced them wrapping her arm around Maura's shoulder.

"Pleasure to meet you, gentleman." Maura said shaking their hands.

"Pleasure is all ours. It's good to finally meet you, since Jane talks nonstop about you." The owner said making Maura and Jane blush.

"Yes. To finally meet who puts up with Jane when she's not with us." Cavanaugh joked before they said their goodbyes.

The couple met up with Angela and Frankie and, as they put Jane's bag in the trunk, Jane and Maura heard someone calling out, making them turn around.

"Jane, hold up!" They saw a man running towards them.

"Hey, coach Dean. What can I do for you?" Jane asked her offense coordinator.

"Sorry to delay you both." He said looking at their locked hands before continuing "I wanted to ask you if you could get a couple of hours earlier on Monday. I have a new set of plays but before showing to the team I wanted to show you and get your opinion on them."

"Of course. I'll be there." Jane replied, always ready to work.

"Great. Good night." He said and after waiting for something that didn't came, he left.

"He likes you." Maura said, ending her silence, making Jane turn back to her.

Jane had already realized that but it didn't matter to her, "Well, then it sucks for him that I'm crazy about, and only have eyes for, this blonde, sexy and adorable doctor who owns me completely." She said wrapping her arms around Maura's waist, kissing her and feeling the blonde smile into her kiss.

Their passionate kiss would have continued if not for Frankie who decided he had enough "Hey, lovebirds! Let's go! We'll celebrate at home and you can carry on there!"

The ladies laughed breaking their kiss and entered the car, speeding of back to Boston.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it!**


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